Chiroptera.
It's a word most people haven't heard. It means hand wing. It's pretty easy to see why bats are called chiroptera. When you look at the skeleton, you can see the same bones that are in the human hand. The fingers themselves are almost as long as the bat's body - longer than the bones of the arms. When a bat flaps its wings, it's really flapping its hands.
Take a look at the thumbs at the peak of the wings in the photo below.
It's a word most people haven't heard. It means hand wing. It's pretty easy to see why bats are called chiroptera. When you look at the skeleton, you can see the same bones that are in the human hand. The fingers themselves are almost as long as the bat's body - longer than the bones of the arms. When a bat flaps its wings, it's really flapping its hands.
Take a look at the thumbs at the peak of the wings in the photo below.
Click to enlarge. Those thumbs can be very practical. When the bat needs to use the restroom, normally it would have to fly - otherwise that stuff trickles down the torso and even into the bat's mouth. If the bat doesn't want to fly, it can still use the restroom by hanging by the thumbs for a moment (if you can imagine that).
These and other facts about bats will be included in the Hoggatt Cave tour. The cave will be ready soon, and employee training will take place thereafter. Students are anxious to get things started.
These and other facts about bats will be included in the Hoggatt Cave tour. The cave will be ready soon, and employee training will take place thereafter. Students are anxious to get things started.
