Bat

Chiroptera Temporal range: Eocene – Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	Scrotifera
Order:	Chiroptera Blumenbach, 1779
Suborders
(traditional): Megachiroptera Microchiroptera (recent): Yinpterochiroptera Yangochiroptera
Worldwide distribution of bat species

Bats are mammals in the order Chiroptera.^[1] Bats are nocturnal which means they are active during the night, dusk, or dawn and they sleep at day.

Most use echolocation to catch prey and to find their way about. As night time animals, bats avoid direct competition with birds, few of which are nocturnal.

Bats usually live in caves or trees. In North America and in Europe they sometimes live in people's houses or barns. They are protected animals in the UK.^[2]

Bats are a successful group. They are the second largest order of mammals: there are more than 1,400 species of bats. This means that 20% of all living mammal species – one in five – are bats.^[3][4]

About 70% of bats are insectivores, which is the basal form of life for this group. The common pipistrelle is a successful example. Most of the rest are fruit-eaters (fruit bats). A few species suck blood, and a few large ones are carnivorous.

Bats live everywhere except the Arctic, Antarctic and a few oceanic islands. They usually roost in caves, old buildings, or trees.

Traditionally, bats are divided into two groups. Microbats mostly use echo-location and catch insects, but just a few eat fish or drink blood. Megabats do not echolocate, but instead eat fruit or nectar.

Most of the bats are well known for their uncanny capability to fly in dark places. Most bats use sound to navigate during the night by echolocation.^[5] Bats can fly and find their food by listening to the outcoming echoes and sending out high-frequency squeaks even in total darkness.^[6]

1. ↑ Hill J.E. & Smith J.D. 1984. British Museum (Natural History), London
2. ↑ Altingham J.D. 2003. British bats. HarperCollins, London.
3. ↑ Tudge, Colin (2000). The variety of life. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860426-2.
4. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Simmons was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
5. ↑ Tuttle, Merlin D. (2018). Natural History of Vampire Bats. CRC Press. pp. 1–5. doi:10.1201/9781351074919-1. ISBN 978-1-351-07491-9.
6. ↑ Pipp, Andrea (2015). Coefficient of conservatism rankings for the flora of Montana. report to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Helena, Montana. Helena, MT: Montana Natural Heritage Program. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.118573.