bat: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 2, 2026

News •

To these Indigenous nature lovers, creepy crawly critters are important relatives • Oct. 30, 2026, 4:47 PM ET (CBC)

Shrinking bat populations can weaken ecosystem benefits even while species remain widespread • Oct. 29, 2026, 1:20 PM ET (Phys.org)

CT celebrates nature’s most misunderstood mammals. They matter here and nearly everywhere. • Oct. 26, 2026, 6:02 AM ET (Hartford Courant)

Bat mothers’ hearts beat faster when they hear their pups • Oct. 23, 2026, 12:00 AM ET (Popular Science)

Bat Beauty Contest returns October 24 • Oct. 20, 2026, 10:30 AM ET (Popular Science)

Facts

Also Known As	Chiroptera

Photos and Videos

Livingstone's fruit bat

Mexican free-tailed bat

white-nose syndrome

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

epauletted fruit bat

Illustration of a typical microchiropteran bat (Myotis) showing labeled anatomy such as ear, tragus, wings, and tail, with insets displaying variations in ear shapes, nose structures, tail types, and wing positions.

Indiana brown bats (Myotis sodalis) hibernating on a cave ceiling.

Why being “blind as a bat” is a myth

Bats: Roosting, hunting, and echolocation

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

Learn if we should be afraid of bats with a bat expert

See All Videos, Images and Audio →

Topics

Microchiroptera Megachiroptera 5 Surprising Facts About Bats Are Bats Really Blind?Why do bats sleep upside down?Are Bats Rodents?funnel-eared bat sucker-footed bat Mystacinidae leaf-chinned bat primate artiodactyl perissodactyl cetacean carnivore rodent insectivore sirenian lagomorph pangolin

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