Bats (Order Chiroptera) are the worlds only group of mammals that have wings. Although some other groups of mammals, such as flying lemurs, are able to glide using skin membranes, only bats are capable of true flight. Bats' wings are formed by a skin membrane (called the patagium) which extends from its long fingers to the sides of its body. Its skeleton is further modified to enable flight, with fused vertebrae and a strong sternum to anchor some of the muscles used in flight.
The Order Chiroptera is subdivided into two suborders (Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera). Megachirpteran bats have a foxlike quality about their features, suggesting them their common name, the flying foxes. Flying foxes are larger in size than other types of bats, with some wingspans reaching up to 5 feet.
Microchiropteran bats are in general smaller than Megachiropterans. The Microchirpteran bats use ecolocation to navigate and capture their prey. Their diet varies from species to species. Some bats eat only fruits, pollen, and nectar, while others eat insects, lizards, frogs, and some feed on the blood of other animals.
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Bats inhabit tropical and temperate regions. They are absent from polar regions.
References:
- Burnie D, Wilson DE. 2001. Animal. London: Dorling Kindersley. 624 p.
