Bats are very familiar flying mammals. There are some important facts defining their true status in the ecosystem.

Fact 1:

Bats are the only mammals with wings capable of true flight. (Science Kids)

Fact 2:

Bats are usually found to be active at night while they remain asleep during the day. This characteristic is termed as ‘œnocturnal’. (Science Kids)

Fact 3:

‘œVampire Bats’ are not just scary creations of the movie directors: they actually exist. There are three species of vampire bats that feed only on blood. (Science Kids)

Fact 4:

Bats do not see well! They use the phenomena of ‘œecholocation’ for estimating distances and then flying. In this process they produce sounds in the air and then wait for the sound waves to bounce back after hitting any solid object. The echo produced thereby determines the flying path of the bat. (Animal Planet)

Fact 5:

There is a rumor, most likely true, that there is an anticoagulant found in the saliva of a vampire bite that is thought to be useful for cardiac patients, where a continuous flow of blood is required. (Science Kids)

Fact 6:

Some species of bats can live up to an age of 30 years. However their average lifetime is most often equal to the average life of a dog. (Animal Planet)

Fact 7:

Bats are heavy eaters! A single small brown bat is calculated to eat more than 1000 insects in one hour! (Live Science)

Fact 8:

It is estimated that most female bats give birth to only a single offspring per year. This has threatened many of the species of bats with endangerment. (Live Science)

Fact 9:

The name of the baby or offspring of a bat is ‘œpup’. (Find fast)

Fact 10:

Very few of us know that bats also fill the niche of flower pollinators along with bees and butterflies! (The Daily Green)