Facts about Bats

1. 08

   Some bat species migrate over 1,600 kilometers annually, with the Mexican free-tailed bat traveling from Canada to Mexico in one of the longest mammal migrations by distance.

   BatsMay 14sharemigrationbehaviorgeography
2. 07

   In 2011, researchers discovered that the greater horseshoe bat can navigate in complete darkness using 3D echolocation imaging with spatial resolution comparable to human vision.

   BatsMay 14shareneurobiologysensoryresearch
3. 06

   During sleep, bats hang upside down and enter torpor, dropping their body temperature by up to 40 degrees Celsius to conserve energy on nights without adequate food sources.

   BatsMay 14sharebiologymetabolismbehavior
4. 05

   Over 1,400 bat species exist worldwide, comprising approximately 20 percent of all mammal species on Earth.

   BatsMay 14sharebiodiversitytaxonomymeasurement
5. 04

   Vampire bats in Central and South America produce anticoagulant proteins in their saliva that prevent blood from clotting for up to 30 minutes after feeding.

   BatsMay 14sharebiologyadaptationchemistry
6. 03

   The little brown bat, weighing only 4 to 8 grams, can live up to 34 years in the wild, making it one of the longest-lived mammals relative to its body size.

   BatsMay 14sharelongevitybiologymeasurement
7. 02

   A Mexican free-tailed bat can consume up to 1,200 mosquitoes in a single hour during peak feeding times.

   BatsMay 14sharebiologymeasurementdiet
8. 01

   Echolocation in bats can detect objects as thin as human hair traveling at speeds exceeding 160 kilometers per hour.

   BatsMay 13sharebiologymeasurementsensory