Category: Mammals
Domestic cats are widely thought to have descended from the African wildcat (Felis sylvestris lybica), a species first domesticated about 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. They are thought to have been tolerated by ancient humans since they hunted vermin and eventually, through natural selection, diverged from their wild ancestors. Compared to dogs, cats have not undergone a great deal of change during the domestication process – they still retain their general wild form, hunting instincts, and highly acute senses. Even though cats sometimes live in colonies, they do not have a pack instinct and always hunt alone.
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Bats: The Only True-Flying Mammal
Bats, the only mammal capable of true flight, are not blind - their eyes are just fine, thank you very much. But instead of eyes, most bats rely on an incredibly fine-tuned sense of hearing when they fly and hunt. Using a technique called echolocation, they emit high-pitched calls (usually above the range of human hearing), using the echos that are reflected back to them as a means of navigation and locating objects. The ears, auditory cortex, and (in a few cases) even noses of some bats are extraordinarily specialized for echolocation; there are even bats that have adapted the frequency of their calls to frequencies above or below what their favorite prey can hear!
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
