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    When bats hang upside down for many hours in the day why don't they pass out from all the blood going to their heads?

    Question #63697. Asked by mementoflash. (Mar 19 06 4:24 PM)


    kaylofgorons

    		Same reason giraffes don't pass out when they drink water. Their circulatory systems work both right-side up and down-side up.

    Mar 19 06, 8:40 PM
    xfacilitatorx

    		That is the way they were DESIGNED.

    Mar 19 06, 9:13 PM
    gmackematix

    		I'm not sure about bats but giraffes have the biggest heart of any mammal to pump the blood up to their head and they would be in serious trouble if this process became gravity assisted when the giraffe bent down. Therefore they have special valves in the blood vessels of their necks.
    Similarly, Emperor penguins have special valves in their legs to stop the blood and hence their body heat draining out of their feet into the cold Antarctic ice.
    However, while the height of a giraffe might give its blood enough gravitational potential energy to affect its circulatory flow, this probably isn't true of small animals like bats.
    The predominant force pushing blood through the vessels of a bat is the pumping force of the heart whether it is upright or upside-down, so the blood doesn't all rush to its head.

    Mar 19 06, 9:21 PM
    kaylofgorons

    		No valves in bats? I'd be surprised if there wasn't something going on inside to help out. Bats range in size from quite large to itty-bitty like the bumble-bee bat.

    Mar 19 06, 10:16 PM
    kaylofgorons

    		Man, if only TAW were here. But then...nevermind...

    Mar 19 06, 10:25 PM
    gmackematix

    		The largest bats, the flying foxes, only grow up to about 18 inches in length.
    Mind you, they do have a wingspan of 5ft 7in (about the height of Tom Cruise).

    Mar 20 06, 12:23 PM
    kaylofgorons

    		Yeah, the 5ft. 7in. was the "quite large" I had in mind. Imagine if that fellow ran into you in the dark!

    Mar 20 06, 2:37 PM
    gmackematix

    		On reflection, I'm quite impressed that a creature only a foot and a half high can operate wings of that size.

    Mar 20 06, 8:53 PM

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