Bats and Echolocation

A short explainer on the how bats “see in the dark”.

Title card for "Bats and Echolocation"
Title card for "Bats and Echolocation"

Bats are not actually blind.

They use echolocation!

These lovely infographics were part of an experiment using photomontage techniques to create social media content for a general audience on Instagram. The results were visually striking images which, if we had had a bit more social media strategy savviness, would've reached higher highs.

Title reads: Bats and Echolocation. A collage image of a starry night, a bat hangs upside down from the upper right, coloured green and purple like a photographic negative. Concentric white circles flow from the bat’s head against the black sky, giving the illusion of three sound waves going in all directions.Text reads: Bats use echolocation to be able to “see” in the dark. They use it to hunt and forage at night. A bat hangs upside down from the upper right, coloured green and purple like a photographic negative. Concentric white circles flow from the bat’s head against the black sky, giving the illusion of three sound waves going in all directions, but these circles reveal a thick tropical jungle in all its depth and distance glory, otherwise barely visible in the star-speckled black sky.Text reads: Bats produce ultrasonic waves (sound waves with frequencies higher than what a human is able to hear) from their mouth or nose. A bat, mouth wide open showing its fangs and tongue, sneaks into frame from the upper left. It coloured green and purple like a photographic negative. Concentric white circles flow from the bat’s head against the black sky, giving the illusion of three sound waves shooting towards the text on the right.Text reads: When the echoes return, the bat compares the time between the signal being sent and when it returned. The bat then uses this to form a map of their surroundings. A collage image of a starry night, a bat is illustrated on the lower right, coloured green and purple like a photographic negative. Concentric white circles flow from the bat’s head against the black sky, giving the illusion of three sound waves going in all directions.Text reads: Bonus fact. Bats aren’t actually blind. They are believed to have eyesight that is keener than most humans. Their use of echolocation is to help them hunt in the dark as they are nocturnal creatures. This has nothing to do with their eyesight! A bat hangs upside down from the upper left, wings spread wide to circle the words “Bonus Fact”. The bat is coloured green and purple like a photographic negative, contrasted against a black, starry night sky.

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© Cooked illustrations

Made by Jorge Sanchez

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© Cooked illustrations

Made by Jorge Sanchez

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© Cooked illustrations

Made by Jorge Sanchez

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© Cooked illustrations

Made by Jorge Sanchez