Bella the Bat Sees in the Dark
Bella wonders how she can fly through the dark without bumping into anything. Her grandma explains.
When the sun went down, Bella the bat woke up. She stretched her wings and yawned. It was breakfast time — at night!
Bella zoomed out of the cave with her family. The sky was dark. The trees were dark. Everything was dark.
Swoop! Bella zipped around a tree. Dip! She dodged a branch. Snap! She caught a moth in mid-air.
Back at the cave, Bella asked Grandma Bat a question. "Grandma, it's so dark outside. How do we fly without bumping into things?"
Grandma smiled. "We listen, Bella. We make tiny squeaks, too high for people to hear. The squeaks bounce off trees and bugs and come back to our ears, like an echo."
"An echo?" asked Bella.
"Yes! If the echo comes back quickly, something is close. If it takes longer, it's far away. It's called echolocation."
Bella tried it. She squeaked toward the cave wall. The echo came back fast. "The wall is close!" She squeaked toward the entrance. The echo took longer. "The way out is far!"
"You're a natural," said Grandma.
That night, Bella flew higher and faster than ever, squeaking all the way. She didn't need light to see. She could see with her ears!
⭐ The End ⭐
💬 Talk about it
- When do bats wake up?
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At night, when the sun goes down. - What do bats listen for to find their way?
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Echoes of their squeaks. - What is this special skill called?
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Echolocation.
