Bat

Bat facts at a glance

How big is a bat?

An adult bat measures 10 cm long — about 6% of the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 30 g, a small fraction of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of bats called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Flight and echolocation

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly, beating wings of thin skin stretched between elongated finger bones. Many species hunt and navigate in darkness using echolocation, emitting high-pitched calls and listening for the echoes to build a sound picture of their surroundings. This lets them catch flying insects with extraordinary precision on the wing. Most bats roost upside down in caves, trees, or buildings during the day and become active at dusk.

Diet and feeding

Diet varies enormously across the more than 1,400 bat species. Many small bats are insectivores that can eat thousands of insects in a single night, helping control pests such as mosquitoes. Larger fruit bats feed on fruit, nectar, and pollen, making them important pollinators and seed dispersers in tropical forests. Only three species, all in the Americas, feed on blood.

Habitat and range

Bats are found almost everywhere on Earth except the most extreme polar regions and a few remote islands. They occupy caves, hollow trees, rock crevices, and human structures, and species range from rainforests and deserts to cities. Some temperate bats hibernate through winter or migrate to warmer areas when insects become scarce. Their wide distribution makes them one of the most successful mammal groups.

Ecology and conservation

Bats provide vital ecosystem services, controlling insect populations and pollinating and dispersing the seeds of many plants. While many common species are listed as Least Concern, others are threatened by habitat loss, wind turbines, and the fungal disease white-nose syndrome. Their slow reproduction, often a single pup per year, makes populations slow to recover. Protecting roost sites is key to conserving them.

Did you know? Bat facts

• Bats are the only mammals capable of true, powered flight, with wings formed from skin stretched between long finger bones.
• No. The phrase \
• It depends on the species. Most bats eat insects, while many tropical species feed on fruit, nectar, and pollen. Only three species, found in the Americas, feed on blood.
• Yes. Bats are the only mammals capable of true, powered flight. Other so-called flying mammals, such as flying squirrels, only glide.
• Many bats are remarkably long-lived for their size, commonly reaching 10 to 30 years. Some small species have been recorded living more than 40 years in the wild.
• Conservation: Varies by species.

Diet & feeding

Bat feeds primarily as a varies (insects, fruit, nectar, blood). Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly, beating wings of thin skin stretched between elongated finger bones. Many species hunt and navigate in darkness using echolocation, emitting high-pitched calls and listening for the echoes to build a sound pic

Adaptations

• Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly, beating wings of thin skin stretched between elongated finger bones. Many species hunt and navigate in darkness using echolocation, emitting high-pitched calls and listening for the echoes to build a sound picture of their surroundings. This lets them catch flying insects with extraordinary precision on the wing. Most bats roost upside down in caves, trees, or buildings during the day and become active at dusk.
• Diet varies enormously across the more than 1,400 bat species. Many small bats are insectivores that can eat thousands of insects in a single night, helping control pests such as mosquitoes. Larger fruit bats feed on fruit, nectar, and pollen, making them important pollinators and seed dispersers in tropical forests. Only three species, all in the Americas, feed on blood.

Behaviour & ecology

• Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly, beating wings of thin skin stretched between elongated finger bones. Many species hunt and navigate in darkness using echolocation, emitting high-pitched calls and listening for the echoes to build a sound picture of their surroundings. This lets them catch flying insects with extraordinary precision on the wing. Most bats roost upside down in caves, trees, or buildings during the day and become active at dusk.
• Diet varies enormously across the more than 1,400 bat species. Many small bats are insectivores that can eat thousands of insects in a single night, helping control pests such as mosquitoes. Larger fruit bats feed on fruit, nectar, and pollen, making them important pollinators and seed dispersers in tropical forests. Only three species, all in the Americas, feed on blood.
• Bats are found almost everywhere on Earth except the most extreme polar regions and a few remote islands. They occupy caves, hollow trees, rock crevices, and human structures, and species range from rainforests and deserts to cities. Some temperate bats hibernate through winter or migrate to warmer areas when insects become scarce. Their wide distribution makes them one of the most successful mammal groups.

Communication

• Bat uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Caves, forests, and urban roosts worldwide

Ecological role

Bat plays a recognised ecological role in caves, forests, and urban roosts worldwide.

Conservation status of the Bat

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Bat:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Chiroptera.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Chiroptera. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Chiroptera. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• IUCN Red List — Chiroptera.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Wikipedia — Bat.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.