All About Bats
What is a BAT?
Bats are MAMMALS just like us! People used to think they were just
birds without feathers. We know they are mammals because all
mammals have three things in common:
Mammals are warm blooded.
Mammals nurse their babies with milk.
Mammals have hair and fur.
Bats can do one thing that no other mammal can do! They are the
only mammal that can fly (without an airplane). Some people think
flying squirrels can fly, too. But they are really only gliding from tree
to tree.
How do Bats fly?
Bats have very special wings that help them be expert
flyers.
Bat wings are made of two thin layers of skin stretched
over
the bat's arm and fingers. Bats have a thumb and four
fingers,
just like people.
The bat's fingers are very long compared to its body. If
we had fingers like a bat, they would be longer than our legs! Bat wings
go all the way down the side of the bat's body and partway down its legs.
Bat wings can bend and fold to catch insects or hold fruit to eat!
Where do Bats Live?
Bats are nocturnal which means they are active at night. They
spend the day sleeping in caves or in tree tops.
The place where a bat sleeps is called its
roost. Bats hang UPSIDE DOWN from their
roosts when they sleep. Although some bats
roost in groups of only one or two, for the most
part bats are very sociable animals. They
usually sleep together in huge groups.
Some caves may be home to thousands of bats. The
largest bat colony in the world is in Bracken Cave, Texas.
During the summer, this cave is home to as many as 20
million Mexican free-tailed bats. That's a LOT of bats!
The emergence of these millions of
bats, as they spiral out of the cave
at dusk for their nightly insect hunt,
is an unforgettable sight.
