WHERE IN THE WORLD DO BATS LIVE? Bats can be found in almost every part of the world except where it is very, very hot or in the really cold areas and on some remote islands. They live on all continents, except Antarctica. More species can be found where the climate is warm. The warm spots are near the equator and are called “tropics” and “rain forests”.

On islands that are far from continents, there are only a few species of bats. That’s because it’s too far for most bats to fly a great distance to reach those islands.

In the U.S., the greatest number of bat species live in the S.W. part of the country. This area has a variety of places where bats can live and there is a lot of food available during most of the year. For example, Texas has 32 different kinds of bats, Maine has 8, Arizona has 28 and Michigan has only 10.

WHAT KIND OF HOMES DO THEY HAVE ? Many bats find trees to be the perfect place to roost and spend their time taking care of their babies. Some bats actually live under big leaves and by using camouflage they can hide from harm and danger. There are other bats that roost under the bark of trees, while still others just hang from the branches.

Perhaps the place where most people think bats live is in caves. A lot of bats do find these big underground caverns a perfect place in which to raise babies and sleep during the day. Bracken Cave in Texas has close to 20 million Mexican Free Tail bats living there.

This is a picture of the emergence of bats from Bracken Cave in Texas.

At times bats may use houses or buildings as a roosting site. Even though these places are not as good as their natural habitats, these man-made structures do offer them protection and are much like their preferred roosts. Wherever there is a bridge, there might also be bats living under it. Even the noise of a busy road overhead doesn’t seem to scare them. As the sun sets, they begin their night flight out to look for food.

Some bats may find old mines that are no longer being used and set up their colony there. People often like to explore these mines and when they do, they disturb the bats. Putting a heavy grate at the mine opening protects the bats. Not all mines are good for bats. They must be like the caves in which bats also live.

There is another type of home in which bats will live, but often animals or insects will get in it first before the bats can. These are bat houses that people build hoping the bats will move in.

WHAT DOES A BAT LOOK LIKE ?

EARS: Bats have very good hearing. They use it for finding food and locating their babies. For insect and fish eaters, the big ears help with echolocation Usually, echoes are received by funnel-shaped ears that face forward.

NOSE: The sense of smell is well developed in most bats. It is used to find and identify certain foods and to recognize roost mates and young. Fruit eating bats can find their food by the smell of ripening fruit. Nectar seeking bats gather pollen on their snout, and by going from flower to flower help create new plants. This is the Mexican long- tongued bat. It gets pollen on its face when it dips into the nectar. It then spreads the pollen to other flowers.

EYES: Bats are not blind ! For example, flying fox bats have very good eyesight and they use their eyes along with their excellent sense of smell to help find food in the dark. FEET: With their strong claws, bats are able to hang upside down in their roosts. Fishing bats also use their claws to scoop up the fish they will eat.

HANDS AND WINGS: Bats fly by using their hands and wings. While the wings are flapping, bats can go up or down by moving the membrane between the body and fifth finger. This is called “lift”. Bats move forward (called “thrust”) by changing the shape of the membrane between the second and fifth fingers.

FUR ON THEIR BODY: You can tell that a bat is a mammal because it has fur or hair on its body. The fur protects the bat because different colors and designs can serve as camouflage and they can hide from danger. The fur is kept clean by regular licking, somewhat like what a cat does. In the winter, the fur helps to keep the bat warm.

IF THEY CAN FLY, WHY AREN’T THEY BIRDS? Bats are mammals. They have hair or fur. A baby bat is born alive. The babies nurse from their mother. Bats have arms, hands and feet. They are warm blooded. Birds are…well…birds ! They are hatched from eggs. Birds have feathers, not fur or hair. Babies are fed from mom’s mouth. They have wings, but no hands and fingers. So, are birds and bats different? Yes they are. And, a bat is the only mammal that can truly fly…..