[4] A 2013 study determined that their tongues have a mopping ability that is powered by blood, a phenomenon unique in nature.

As a result, the hairs stand in erect rows, perpendicular to the tongue.

The tongue tip increases by over 50 percent in length, contracting its width to squeeze enlarged vascular sinuses along the tongue's length, that are directly connected to the hairs.

During this process tissue capillaries turn from pink (little blood) to dark red.

The efficiency of this feeding mechanism is believed to enable the bats' survival on limited food sources.