The world's only flying mammal

1. Bats are found in almost every corner of the world

Bats live on every continent on Earth, except Antarctica. Bats can be found as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as Argentina and the southernmost tip of South Africa. The largest bat is the giant golden-crowned flying fox, a rare fruit bat that lives only in the Philippines. Not only does this bat weigh 1.5 kg, but it also has a wingspan of 1.5 to 1.6 meters! The smallest bat in the world is the Kitts hog-nosed bat, an endangered bat species that live in southeastern Burma and western Thailand. This tiny bat is probably the smallest mammal on Earth.

2. Bats are the only mammals in the world that can fly

Although the flying squirrel looks like it can fly, it just glides. Bats, on the other hand, are the only mammals in the world that can fly and control flight. Their scientific name, Chiropractor, is derived from the Greek word meaning "hand wing. The bat's wings are made up of long, thin finger bones covered with a thin layer of skin.

While birds flap their entire forearm limbs to fly, bats only flap these membrane-covered fingers. It's like trying to fly by just flapping your hands without moving your arms! In addition to flying, bats' wings help them regulate their body temperature and blood pressure.

3. Bats sleeping upside down

One of the most iconic images of bats is seeing these funny creatures hanging upside down while snuggled up in their warm wings. But why do bats hang upside down, and how do they do it?

Scientists believe that hanging upside down is actually very beneficial to bats because it helps them take off faster in flight. While birds have hollow bones that help with flight, bats are mammals with heavy, strong bones. This extra weight requires them to gain more momentum to take off. By hanging upside down, bats can fall and begin to fly. This provides them with the power they need to take off and fly.

4. Some bats hibernate

Contrary to popular belief, not all types of bats hibernate. For example, many spotted bats will migrate to warmer areas when the weather gets cold rather than hibernate. However, many other bats hibernate in caves or mines, such as the northern long-eared bat.

During hibernation, the body systems of hibernating bats slow down considerably. For example, during the summer, a mouse-eared bat's heart rate is usually about 600 beats per minute (or about 10 beats per second), but during hibernation, its heart rate drops to only 18 to 80 beats per minute!

5. Vampire bats are not as scary as you might think

Although the story of the vampire bat originated in Eastern Europe, true vampire bats only live in South and Central America, and they do not take human form. However, vampire bats do drink blood, or more accurately, they suck blood with their tongues. There are three types of vampire bats: the common vampire bat, the white-winged vampire bat, and the hairy-legged vampire bat. Vampire bats are the only mammals that feed on blood. But don't worry, vampire bats don't actively attack humans! They usually seek blood from livestock such as cattle, horses, and sometimes even chickens.

6. Bats are vital to some of our favorite foods

There are at least 1,400 species of bats around the world, each with its unique diet. Some bats eat fruits, pollen, and seeds from flowers, and some even drink nectar like hummingbirds! These bats are natural pollinators and help spread the seeds of fruits, cocoa, and nuts. There are at least 300 different fruits that rely on bats for pollination! In other words, without bats, we wouldn't be able to enjoy foods like figs, bananas, mangoes, avocados, or agave. In addition, nearly 80 different human drugs come from plants that depend on bats for their survival.

On the other hand, bats that feed on fish and fisher or bulldog bats eat mainly fish. The labial or frog-eating bats prefer to feed on frogs. You can tell a poisonous frog from an edible one just by listening to the call of the male! Many other bat species eat only insects. Bats that feed on insects are especially helpful to farmers because these bats can destroy swarms of insects by the thousands every night!

7. Bats reproduce slowly

Compared to other mammals, female bats take an unusually long time to become pregnant. Some species are pregnant for six to nine weeks, while others may be pregnant for several months. In the spring, female bats gather in maternity wards and nursery areas to give birth and raise their young. Generally, female bats give birth to only one baby or "pup" per year (except for the Easter red bat, which gives birth to one to five pups at a time). Mother bats keep their pups close and breastfeed them until they are old enough to fly and venture out to find food on their own.

8. The world's largest bat roost is in Texas

Most bats live in large colonies. The largest colony is located in Texas and has over 15 million bats! Bracken Cave, located near San Antonio, Texas, is the largest bat roost on Earth. Over 15 million Mexican tailless bats live there.

9. Bats are among the fastest mammals on Earth

Speaking of Mexican tailless bats, did you know that this little flying ball of fur is ridiculously fast? Here's a recently discovered bat fact: It's one of the fastest mammals on the planet! The Mexican tailless bat can fly at breakneck speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour for a short period of time! This is not swooping through the air, but using only the power of their wings while flying parallel to the ground.

10. Bats are not blind

Bats fly around in the dark and are known for their superior echolocation skills, and most bat species have excellent eyesight. Large fox bats, for example, have excellent night vision, while Callas' long-tongued bats can see ultraviolet light. Even bats with poor vision still rely on visual cues when navigating and tracking over long distances.

However, bats do utilize several different senses in addition to vision. The most widely known bat super sense is, of course, echolocation. Bats make sharp sounds and use their sensitive ears to detect when sound waves are reflected from an object. In addition, many bats use their sense of smell to track food or to communicate.