Behold a Bat in Mid-Air
Then watch an amazing slideshow and video of these "invisible mammals"
![The Townsend's big-eared bat](/sites/default/files/styles/sierra_full_page_width/public/2023-06/2017-11-Opening-Shot-Merlin-Tuttle-Bat-WB.jpg.webp?itok=D6ND5DbY)
The Townsend's big-eared bat | Photo by Merlin Tuttle
The Townsend's big-eared bat seldom drinks, except in extreme heat—those large ears help keep it cool while also providing lift during flight. Photographer Merlin Tuttle poured water into a plexiglass tank set up in a former miner's cabin on a hot Arizona afternoon, waited for hours, and photographed these thirsty bats from two feet away, at about 1/40,000 of a second to freeze motion.
See a slideshow of Tuttle's work.
This article appeared in the November/December 2017 edition with the headline "In-Flight Drinks."