FactGuard

Are bats blind?

Rated: False 1 of 5 on the fact-check scale

No — the evidence does not support this claim.

FalseTrue
The claim
Bats are blind.

What the evidence shows

Bats are not blind. All bat species have functional eyes and many see well, some even perceiving ultraviolet light. Many bats also use echolocation to navigate in the dark, but this supplements their vision rather than replacing it.

This summary describes a fact-check originally published by Live Science. FactGuard did not conduct this review; we summarize it and link to the original. Read the original fact-check by Live Science →

Sources

  • Live Science
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • Bat Conservation International

Published 2026-06-07 · Last reviewed 2026-06-07

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