Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera (/kaɪˈrɒptərə/; from the Ancient Greek: χείρ – cheir, "hand" and πτερόν – pteron, "wing")[1] whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. Other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, can only glide for short distances. Bats are less efficient at flying than birds, but are more manoeuvrable, using their very long spread-out digits which are covered with a thin membrane or patagium.
Bats are the second largest order of mammals (after the rodents), representing about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with about 1,240 bat species divided into two suborders: the less specialised and largely fruit-eating megabats, including flying foxes, and the highly specialised and echolocatingmicrobats. About 70% of bat species are insectivores, and most of the rest eat fruit. A few species feed on animals other than insects, with the vampire batsbeing hematophagous, or feeding on blood. Almost all bats are nocturnal, and many roost in caves or other refuges, causing zoologists to wonder whether bats have these behaviours to escape predators, but the evidence remains equivocal.
Bats are present throughout most of the world, with the exception of extremely cold regions. They perform the vital ecological roles of pollinating flowers and dispersing fruit seeds; many tropical plant species depend entirely on bats for the distribution of their seeds. Bats are economically important, as they consume insect pests, reducing the need for pesticides. The smallest bat, and arguably the smallest extant mammal, is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, measuring 29–34 mm (1.14–1.34 in) in length, 15 cm (5.91 in) across the wings and 2–2.6 g (0.07–0.09 oz) in mass. The largest bats are a few species of Pteropus (fruit bats or flying foxes) and the giant golden-crowned flying fox, Acerodon jubatus, with weights of up to 1.6 kg (4 lb) and wingspan up to 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in).
Bat dung has been mined as guano from caves and used as fertiliser. Bats are natural reservoirs of many pathogens including those of rabies; since they are highly mobile, social, and long-lived, they can readily spread diseases. Bats are sometimes numerous enough to serve as tourist attractions, and are used as food across Asia and the Pacific Rim. In many cultures, bats are popularly associated with darkness, death, witchcraft and malevolence.
... From Wikipedia.
Link - Mexican Fishing Bats.
Link - Video EXPLOSION OF BATS
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