Bat fact: Bats can "lock" themselves onto a branch to hang

rob64, 12 days ago

Don’t some/all birds have mechanisms for “locking” their legs/feet so that effort it’s required to stay upright on a branch?

Papanca, 12 days ago

Birds have something similar to not drop from a branch while sleeping. That’s why their toes in death are curled together, those muscles are relaxed, so to speak

Yondoza, 12 days ago

This phrasing feels misleading. There isn’t a ratchet system. The tendon that curls the toes or “holds on” is pulled by gravity so no muscles are used holding the toes closed in the hanging position. To let go the bats use muscles to relax this tendon and uncurl their toes.

ickplant, 12 days ago

That’s interesting, thanks for pointing that out. The phrasing came directly from this WWF article.

Misanthrope, 12 days ago

I came here for a “well-actually”.

Thank you, it was informative.

SatansMaggotyCumFart, 12 days ago

Sloths use their curved claws in a similar fashion but if they die sleeping they hang out dead until they decompose, separate and drop.

I wonder if that happens to bats too.

ickplant, 12 days ago

Damn, nature, you nasty. All kidding aside, that’s fascinating. No idea if that happens to bats.