What are some fun facts about bats?

Bats are the only flying mammals and comprise the second largest order of mammals in the world. A bat's grasp is strong enough to hold its entire body weight while its body hangs upside down. Along with whales, dolphins, and some shrew species many bats use echolocation (sonar dependent on pulse sounds and echoes) to identify and track prey.

How many species of bats are there in the world?

There are more than 1,300 species of bats found across the globe. Bats are the second largest order of mammals and make up 20% of all described mammal species. Bats can be found in virtually every habitat worldwide, except for Antarctica, the Artic and a few remote islands.

What are the different types of bats?

There are two main types of bats: microbats and megabats. Most bats are microbats, which eat insects like moths, that come out at night. Vampire bats are the only species of microbats that feed on blood rather than insects. But not to worry—they prefer to drink from cattle and horses, not humans.

What are the benefits of bats?

By consuming so many insects, bats reduce the use of toxic chemical pesticides in the environment. Bats help control infestations of moths, mosquitoes, leafhoppers, aphids, fleas, flies, wasps, and beetles. Insects avoid areas occupied by bats.