Bats

When people think of bats, too often their first thoughts are of vampire movies and creatures who want blood. Bats are so much more than how they are often portrayed in movies and television. These warm-blooded creatures are amazing animals with abilities that both fascinate and awe those who study them.

Most people are not aware that bats are, in fact, mammals. Bats are the only mammals that have the ability to fly. What makes them mammals? They are warm-blooded, their bodies have fur, and they nurse their young. What is unusual, of course, is their amazing ability to fly. Bats use their flying ability to search for food.

There are more than one thousand species of bats known to exist. Because of this, bats can vary greatly in size. The largest known bats can weigh more than three pounds while the smallest species, known as bumblebee bats, can be as small as .07 ounces. Despite their reputation as scary creatures, thanks in part to their connection to vampire stories, these mammals generally try to avoid humans. They are nocturnal creatures who do most of their hunting at night when they should be out of the way of most humans.

One misconception about bats is that these mammals are blind. This is not true. Most bats are only color blind. However, thanks to their excellent sense of smell and hearing, they can use echolocation to gather information about their surroundings. They can use this information to help find their prey and to help keep themselves safe.