Bats live on every continent on Earth except Antarctica and some remote islands. Most bats live in the tropics and species are most numerous around the equator.
Bats are the second largest group of mammals after rodents. Almost one out of every four mammalian species on the planet is a bat species. Living bats are categorized into two main groups, each with its own distinct features. The Megachiroptera (mega-keer-OP-ter-ah), or "large bats" group includes one family. The Microchiroptera (micro-keer-OP-ter-ah), or "small bats" g…
Bats need a roost, a place to settle or rest, and a place to find food. The type of roost a bat chooses depends upon the type of bat. Bats can roost in hollow trees, cracks in trees, and under bridges. Many bats depend on caves in the cool winter months to survive, and others roost in caves all year long. Some bat species find their roosting site in abandoned mines. The dome shaped ceilings can hi…
While the most famous bats are the vampire bats, known for eating blood, the majority of bats eat only insects. Microchiroptera are generally carnivores, meat-eaters, that feed on insects, such as moths, flying beetles, and mosquitoes. Bats can capture insects while flying by catching them in their mouths or scooping them into their tails or wing membranes. Some bats pick the insects off leaves or…
Bats as a group are crepuscular (kri-PUS-kyuh-lur), meaning they are active at dawn and dusk, or nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. When they are roosting, bats generally hang upside down by their claws. This allows them to simply let go of whatever they are hanging onto and start flying. With their large ears and small eyes, microchiropteran bats depend upon a complex sound technique ca…
Popular folklore and myths have led to many people having a negative reaction to bats. Because most people do not typically see or interact with bats, many misunderstandings about these creatures remain. The Eastern European tale of a vampire, a corpse that came back to life and sucked blood from the neck of its human victim, dates back to the Middle Ages. After Bram Stoker's Dracula was pu…
Bat populations are in decline in the United States and throughout the world. In the United States, out of forty-five bat species, six are federally endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction, dying out, or threatened, close to facing the risk of extinction. Twenty species are categorized as being of special concern by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The World Conservation Union (…
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