Amazing facts about bats: the only mammals capable of continued flight

Bats are the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. Other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, but they can only glide for short distances. Here some amazing facts about bats:

• While others can glide, bats are the only mammals capable of continued flight.
• There are over 1,240 bat species.
• Bats are nocturnal (active at night).
• Bats see in the dark using a special skill called echolocation. Bats make noises and wait for the sound waves to bounce back off objects (an echo), if it doesn’t bounce back then they can safely fly forward. They can tell the distance of various objects by how quickly the sound waves bounce back to them.
• About 70% of bats are insectivores, while others eat fruit, fish or even blood!
• There are 3 species of vampire bats which feed solely on blood!
• Vampire bats have small and extremely sharp teeth which are capable of piercing an animal’s skin without them even noticing.
• Vampire bats can carry rabies, making their bites potentially dangerous.
• Some bats live by themselves while others live in caves with thousands of other bats. They can live for over 20 years.
• Pteropus bats are the largest in the world.

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