Bat Facts

Bat Facts:
1) Bats are not the cause of COVID-19, nor do they spread the disease.
2) Rabies in bats is rare. Only 1/2 of 1 % ever fall ill with the virus (CDC)*.
3) Bats are not blind; they see very well.
4) Many kinds of bats use echolocation while flying at night.
5) Echolocation is a type of natural sonar that lets bats "see with their ears."
6) In winter, many kinds of North American bats hibernate and/or migrate to a warmer climate, depending on species.
7) Most female bats of reproductive age give birth to a single pup each year.
8) A bat won't get tangled in your hair.
9) Bats are the only mammal with true, powered flight.
10) Bats are not rodents (flying mice). They are order Chiroptera, which means hand-wing.
11) A bat's wing has four fingers and a thumb, just like a person's hand.
12) Bats are more closely related to primates on the evolutionary scale.
13) Bat fossils date back 50 million years.
14) More than 500 species of crop plants and 530 species of flowering plants rely on bats for pollination, seed dispersal and/or insect control.
15) Bats are not vicious or aggressive, but they are wild animals and might bite if frightened.
16) A bat's lifespan is 12 to 40 years, depending on its species.
17) Bats are very smart. A bat's brain to body ratio is the same as a human's.

*Never handle a bat without taking the necessary precautions. If you have found a bat, see our Found a Bat pages or contact a rehabber for advice.