bat

Introduction
General features
- Distribution
- Importance to humans
Natural history
- Behaviour
  - Activity patterns
  - Locomotion
  - Roosting
  - Migration
  - Orientation
  - Food habits
  - Maintenance behaviour
  - Social interactions
- Life cycle
Form and function
- Anatomical specializations
- Thermoregulation
- Digestion and water conservation
- Senses
Evolution and paleontology
Classification
- Distinguishing taxonomic features
- Annotated classification

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Bats: Roosting, hunting, and echolocation

D'Orbigny's round-eared bat (Tonatia silvicola) flying with wings spread wide, holding a green katydid in its mouth against a dark background.

Small squirrel peeking out of a snowy bank, with a blue circle surrounding it.

At a Glance

bat summary

Quizzes

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.

Ultimate Animals Quiz

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Related Questions

How are bats related to rodents and other mammals?
How do DNA studies change scientists’ understanding of bat classification?
How do a bat’s large ears improve its ability to echolocate?
How do bat echolocation calls help bats judge the direction of an object?
How do bat nose leaves relate to echolocation signals?
How do bat wing shapes vary according to different flight styles?
How do bats avoid flying into thin wires and other obstacles?
How do bats catch insects while flying?
How do bats change their echolocation calls while chasing an insect?
How do bats determine the distance to prey using returning echoes?
How do bats help control insect populations?
How do bats help pollinate tropical plants?
How do bats use echolocation to find insects in the dark?
How do bats use their thumbs for climbing and handling food?
How do fruit-eating bats help disperse plant seeds?
How do insect-eating bats use the tail membrane to catch large prey?
How do rousette bats use echolocation differently from most small bats?
How do some fruit bats make shelters from leaves?
How do vampire bats feed on the blood of mammals and birds?
How does the Doppler effect help some bats measure the speed of their prey?
How fast can bats repeat echolocation pulses during the final stage of an insect chase?
How large can a flying fox become?
How many species of bats are recognized?
What do most bats eat?
What happens during the search phase of bat echolocation?
What is the purpose of the membrane between a bat’s hind legs?
What kinds of animals do carnivorous bats eat?
What traits make flowers attractive to nectar-eating bats?
Which bat families live in temperate regions?
Which bat fingers support the wing membrane during flight?
Which bat species is one of the smallest mammals in the world?
Which bats catch fish with their feet and claws?
Which types of bats eat fruit?
Why are bats not blind?
Why can vampire bats be harmful to livestock?
Why do many bat echolocation calls have frequencies above human hearing?
Why do some tropical flowers open at night for bats?

Science Mammals Bats, Flying Lemurs & Flying Squirrels

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External Websites

Defenders of Wildlife - Bat
African Wildlife Foundation - Bat
West Virginia University Extension Service - Bats (PDF)
LiveScience - Bats: Fuzzy Flying Mammals
Animal Diversity Web - Bat
San Diego Zoo Animals and Plants - Bat
Bat Conservation Trust - About Bats
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Introduction: The World of Bats
Smithsonian Institution - Bat Facts
The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension - Bats (PDF)
University of California Museum of Paleontology - Chiroptera

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

bat - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
bat - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

bat

mammal

Also known as: Chiroptera

Written by

Don E. Wilson

Curator Emeritus of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. Coauthor of Mammals of North America and many others; coeditor of Mammal Species of the World and many...

Don E. Wilson

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 2, 2026 •History

bat, (order Chiroptera), any member of the only group of mammals capable of flight. This ability, coupled with the ability to navigate at night by using a system of acoustic orientation (echolocation), has made the bats a highly diverse and populous order. More than 1,200 species are currently recognized, and many are enormously abundant. Observers have concluded, for example, that some 100 million female Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) form summer nursery colonies in...

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