Fascinating X-Ray Slow Motion Footage of Bats Flying

In a fascinating clip from the BBC series Inside the Bat Cave, three different species of bat are filmed in slow motion as they take flight. As they fly, the host of the program points out how different builds, wingspan lengths, and physiological needs create variation within each species’ flight.

it’s fascinating how the wing shape and the speed of the back can tell you so much about its biology and what it’s feeding on and where it’s foraging.

They also shared x-ray footage of a bat in flight that was taken by Brown University. The host noted that these flying creatures have more in common with humans than first realized.

This is x-ray footage of a bat in flight filmed in a lab in the states. It reveals how their wings are based on the same anatomy as our hands but with massively elongated fingers. The four fingers make up most of the wing while the thumb has evolved into a claw sticking out the front.

via Nerdist