Flying animals possess their incredible ability to unleash remarkable maneuvers thanks to the special structure of their wings. Now, scientists reveal that bats are some of the best flyers due to their impressive flight controls with their controlled joints that adapt to their wing shape during a specific flight angle. 

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Bats are known to be efficient flyers in the animal kingdom however, they also possess the heaviest wings. Their wings are composed of numerous bones and larger muscles where their wing mass is bigger than their body mass compared to other flying creatures. 

In this new study, researchers studied the bats' inertia when it comes to their wings that are often linked to their low aerial maneuvers where researchers proved otherwise.

According to co-author of the study, biologist Sharon Swartz from Brown University, bats apparently land in a very unique way, which is upside down. She adds how bats change their movements in flying where they move their heads forward and then performs a weird acrobatic like stunt where they put their head down and feet upwards, something that no other flying animal can execute.

In this new research led by Attila Bergou, the researchers trained two bat species to fly inside an enclosed space where they will land on a mesh attached near the ceiling. Using high speed cameras, footage of the bats were captured revealing the slightest wing movements from a fraction of a second before they land.

When the bats arrived near the ceiling, they retracted one of their wings in the most discreet movement toward their body while the other wing was extended fully, flapping energetically. Using this asymmetric beat, these bats also made a half turn before landing on the mesh with their feet first.

After this test, researchers removed the mesh which means that the bats have nothing to latch on to. The videos revealed that while the bats were attempting to land, they also executed the same maneuver with their wings to gain momentum for a forward flight direction.

The researchers analyzed data from video footage and created computer simulations that brought into consideration inertia as opposed to aerodynamics. They compared their data with and without aerodynamic forces where the bat computer simulations still show the same flight maneuvers. 

According to co-author of the study, Kenny Breuer, this new study shows that despite their heavy wings, the bats are still using inertial forces that are more crucial than aerodynamics when it comes to flying, but still in relation to aerodynamics.

This new study is published in the journal PLOS Biology. 

Tagsbat landing, bats landing upside down, bats landing, upside down landing bats, Scientists Explain Why Bats Land Upside Down