“Bats are completely blind and rely *solely* on echolocation for navigation.”

It's a common misconception that bats are entirely sightless, navigating their world solely through sound. This idea likely stems from the remarkable discovery of echolocation, a sophisticated biological sonar system that allows many bat species to "see" with sound in complete darkness. The sheer marvel of this ability often leads people to assume it's their *only* sensory tool, especially given their nocturnal habits.

However, the truth is far more nuanced. All bats possess eyes and can see, though the acuity of their vision varies significantly between species. Megabats, commonly known as fruit (Review) bats, have large, well-developed eyes and rely heavily on their excellent eyesight to find food and navigate, particularly in dimly lit environments. While many microbats are indeed masters of echolocation, even these species utilize their vision for orientation, detecting distant landmarks, and potentially spotting predators or prey in suitable light conditions. Their eyes are perfectly functional for their needs, even if echolocation is their primary sense for close-range navigation and hunting in the dark.

The persistence of this myth can be attributed to the striking contrast (Review) between human vision and bat echolocation. Since humans depend so heavily on sight, the idea of an animal navigating primarily by sound can seem almost fantastical, leading to the logical, but incorrect, leap that they must therefore be blind. Furthermore, bats are often associated with caves and nighttime, environments where human vision is severely limited, reinforcing the notion that they must rely on an entirely different sense to compensate for a lack of sight.