BATS

Bats are the only mammals that fly. They have small furry bodies, rather like those of mice, and broad, thin wings. Their wing consists of membranes (sheets) of skin extending from the sides of the body and supported by the back legs and the extremely long 'fingers' of the front
legs. Bats fly by reaching forwards and scooping air backwards and downwards.

There are nearly a thousand species (kinds of bats), spread through most of the world. The two main groups are the insect-eating bats and the generally larger fruit-eating bats. The vampire is an 'insect eater' that in fact feeds entirely on the blood of other animals.

The fruit-eaters, also called flying foxes, have good eyesight, and generally fly at dusk. Insect-eaters, on the other hand, have very poor eyes. Yet they can fly in pitch darkness, finding their way with a kind of echo-sounding system so accurate that they can use it to catch insects in flight. The bat lets out a series of extremely high-pitched squeaks and listens for the echoes bounced back by objects in its path.

Bats generally spend the day hanging upside-down in caves, trees, or buildings. Some caves contain millions of bats. In cool regions, they spend the winter hibernating in this way.