Unique Characteristics of Bats

Echolocation

Bats are mammals, having hair, feeding their babies with milk, and producing live young. They have fleshy extensions on some of their noses as well as enlarged ears. These are sound gathering devices, much like a satellite dish or when you cup your hands around your ears in order to hear better. This is called echolocation ~ the bats’ ability to send out sounds, which will bounce against an object, then return to the bat for interpretation of what the object is.


Flying

Bats have elongated fingers with skin stretched between them to allow for a large surface area necessary for flying. You might be surprised to know that their wings are only about as thick as a trashbag. Believe it or not, the bats’ thumbs extend from their wing as well.


Hanging Upside Down

Bats bodies are designed so it does not take much energy for them to hang upside down. They are able to lock their feet in place and the weight of the body hanging upside down keep the bats in place and allows them to rest with no real work required. Hanging upside down also allows the bat to hide in unique places away from danger and to take off in flight easily; they simply fall from high above and then are off flying!