Bats are amazing animals. They are flying
mammals. They are the only mammals that can fly. Their bones are lighter
and they have wings with a skin covering so they can fly.
Mexican Long-nosed Bat
(c) Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International
Bats are covered with
fur. Bats hang upside down with their legs when they are resting.
Big Brown Bat (c) James F. Parnell
There are two groups of bats. One is microbats and the
the other is megabats. Some microbats like to eat fruit like the Jamaican
Fruit-eating Bat in this picture.
Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat
(c) Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International
The Mexican Long-tongued bat likes to sip nectar from plants.
Mexican Long-tongued Bat
(c) Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International
Some microbats like to eat insects like this California
Leaf-nosed Bat.
California Leaf-nosed Bat
(c) Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International
Bats locate insects and navigate by using echolocation.
Echolocation is sending out sounds that bounce back so that the bat can find
insects, other bats or its home. This bat has big ears so it can
echolocate better.
Allen's Big Eared Bat
Roger W. Barbour Collection
Click on the word below to see a picture of how echolocation
works.
Many bats are endangered. That means that we have to take
care of the places that they live so that there will continue to be lots of
bats. The Southeastern Myotis is a bat that is endangered. It is
endangered because people damage the caves where they live.
Southeastern Myotis
(c) Merlin D. Tuttle, Bat Conservation International
Megabats are much larger than Microbats. Their wings can
stretch as long as six feet. They like to eat fruit.
All pictures used with permission.