All About Bats

More than 1,300 species of bats live all over the world. These night-flying mammals usually only birth one pup per year, and some bats live up to 35 years. But they have unique dietary needs: some eat insects, some bats prefer fruit or pollen, and some even eat fish! Follow the links below to learn all about bats, and if you want to see videos about bats, then visit the multimedia page.
bat flies along cliff face

How Bats Fly

Bats use special skills to fly at night.

bats fly near cave

Where Bats Live

Bats live in places you might not expect.

hibernating brown bat photo by P Cryan

Hibernate or Migrate

Bats use two main strategies to survive winter: hibernation or migration.

spectrogram of bat call

Echolocation

Echolocation is an unusual skill mastered by bats.

fruit bat hangs from tree

Myth Busters

Can you tell fact from fiction when it comes to bats?

Big brown bat held by scientist

Bats in Parks

Learn about bats in national parks across the country.

Last updated: November 5, 2018

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