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.

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This article appeared in the November/December 2017 edition with the headline "In-Flight Drinks."