National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

On the last full weekend of August, the world celebrates one of the most unusual nature conservation holidays – International Bat Night. Its main goal is to attract public attention to the problems of bats and their protection, as well as to debunk the myths surrounding the animals, which many people experience an unjustified superstitious fear of, considering them vampires.

In fact, bats are amazing mammals that, thanks to their structure, have mastered the art of flight. Four long fingers of the highly developed forelimbs support the wing. The long narrow tail, equal to the length of the head, is also covered with a flying membrane. The fingers of the hind limbs with claws are free of membrane: bats use them to cling to branches and ledges, hanging upside down.

There is an explanation for the fact that bats lead a nocturnal lifestyle. They have very weak vision, adapted only to the dark. But bats have a remarkably developed sense of smell and hearing, which help them hunt and navigate in space, as well as a unique ability for echolocation, which only dolphins have.