Bat Conservation: Know Your Bats

Know Your Bats

Bat Taxonomy

Bats are of the order Chiroptera (hand like wings) which is broken down into two suborders of bats. Megachiroptera (megabats) are old world bats found in tropical areas. They have small ears and large eyes used for locating fruit and nectar. Their face resembles a fox which gives them the name, "flying fox." Microchiroptera (microbats) are both old and new world bats. They have small eyes and some have large ears and use echolocation to find food such as fruit, nectar, insects and small animals.

See a complete bat classification chart
Chiropterology (BATS) with Dr. Merlin Tuttle
Why Bats Are One of Evolution’s Greatest Puzzles

What Bats Eat

30% of bats are frugivorous that fed on fruit and nectar.
70% of bats are insectivorous that feed on insects such as mosquitoes, moths, beetles.crickets, leafhoppers, ants and true bugs. Different species eat different insects.
1% of bats are piscivorous that feed on vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, birds and other bats.

The only bat in the world that feeds on blood are vampire bats (sanguivorous). There are only three species and found in Central and South America. Learn more about Vampire Bats.

Additional reading

Bat Eating Habits
From chewing tough insects to soft fruit, bat teeth are highly specialized

Bat Knowledge

Bats are found around the world except a few islands and the poles. Read more ...

Many people believe bats reside in caves but that is far from the truth. Bats are found in caves and mines to buildings and trees. It has nothing to do with what is available but it depends on the species. Read more ...

Regardless of what you think, bats are not blind. Some bats (microbats) use echolocation to hunt for food and also use it to communicate with other bats. The megabats find their food by sight. Read more ...

Additional Resources on Echolocation

Bat Sounds: What Noise Do Bats Make?
Blind as a bat? The genetic basis of echolocation in bats and whales
In the Wiggle of an Ear, a Surprising Insight into Bat Sonar

Echolocation

Bats hang upside down for a few reasons. They are better able to see predators and hanging provides fast escape. Bat wings are designed differently than bird wings and it is not easy for a bat to take off from the ground. They hang upside down so they can drop into flight. As they drop, they use the air to get lift. Read more ...

Bats are mammals and give birth to live young which is called a "pup." They breed in the fall and the female has what is called delayed fertilization and will give birth to one pup (some may have 2) the following year from April to early June. Read more ...

Not all bats are black or brown. Some bats are white, red or several colors on one bat. Read more ...

Bat Facts

Smallest Bat in World:
Kitti Hog Nosed Bat aka Bumblebee Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) - 0.074 oz
Largest Bat in World:
Golden Crown Flying Fox (Acerodon jubatus) - 2.4 lbs
Fastest Bat in World:
Brazillian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)- Can fly at 100 mph and at heights up to 10,000 feet.
White Bats
Honduran White Bat (Ectophylla alba)
Red Bats
Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis)
Stripped Bats
Pied Bat (Niumbaha superba)
Gray Bats
Gray Bat (Myotis grisescens)

Bats of the World

Amazonian Bats
Bats of Ireland
Bats of Scotland

Additional reading

Bat night: Five things you might not know about bats
Birds and bats have strange gut microbiomes—probably because they can fly
Earliest bat fossil reveals transition to flight
Statistically, mosquitoes are a much greater threat to human health than bats.

View Bats of United States and Canada

Additional Charts to help Learn About Bats