The Wild World of Bats

Darkness falls on Halloween night. Strange sounds are coming from the abandoned house next door. Against your better judgment, you decide to go investigate. As you brush the cobwebs off the doorknob, you feel your heart start pounding. You slowly open the door, and out flies your worst nightmare: a giant cloud of flapping, screeching, bloodsucking vampire bats!

Sound familiar? Spooky scenes like this are common in movies and TV shows, and they’re what many people imagine when they think about bats. But this perception isn’t very realistic, according to Kristen Lear. Most bats are harmless, she says—and humans are a bigger threat to them than they are to us.

Lear is a scientist at Bat Conservation International, an organization based in Austin, Texas. She and her colleagues work to protect endangered bats all around the world. “They’re one of those animals that people shy away from,” she says. “But that air of mystery is what really draws me in.”

Darkness falls on Halloween night. Strange sounds are coming from the abandoned house next door. As you step closer, your heart starts pounding. You open the door, and out flies your worst nightmare. It’s a giant cloud of screeching vampire bats!

Sound familiar? Spooky scenes like this are common in movies and TV shows. They’re what many people imagine when they think about bats. But they aren’t realistic, says Kristen Lear. Most bats are harmless, she says. In fact, humans are a bigger threat to them than they are to us.

Lear is a scientist at Bat Conservation International in Austin, Texas. The organization works to protect endangered bats all around the world. “They’re one of those animals that people shy away from,” says Lear. “But that air of mystery is what really draws me in.”

Vampire bats are real, but they live only in Central and South America—and they rarely bite people, explains Lear. Instead, they typically feed on the blood of wild animals and livestock, such as horses, cows, and pigs. A vampire bat uses its sharp teeth to scrape an animal’s skin, then licks up the blood that flows from the wound. The bites are so small that most animals don’t even notice them.

Vampire bats are only three out of more than 1,400 known bat species. Most bats eat things like insects, fruit, or nectar. One of the world’s largest bats, the golden-crowned flying fox of the Philippines, feeds primarily on figs. The smallest, the bumblebee bat of Thailand and Myanmar, eats tiny ants and flies.

Bats are the only mammals capable of flying. That’s helped them spread to every continent except Antarctica. They live in a wide variety of habitats, from deserts to caves to rainforests to cities. “Really anywhere in the world you go, you can find bats,” says Lear.

Vampire bats are real, but they live only in Central and South America. They rarely bite people, explains Lear. They typically feed on the blood of wild animals and livestock, such as cows and pigs. The bites are so small that most animals don’t even notice them.

Vampire bats are only three out of more than 1,400 known bat species. Most bats eat things like insects, fruit, or nectar. One of the world’s largest bats, the golden-crowned flying fox of the Philippines, feeds on figs. The smallest, the bumblebee bat of Thailand and Myanmar, eats tiny ants and flies.

Bats are the only mammals capable of flying. That’s helped them spread to every continent except Antarctica. They live in many different habitats, including deserts, caves, rainforests, and cities. “Really anywhere in the world you go, you can find bats,” says Lear.

Not only are bats usually harmless, but they also do many things that help us, says Susan Tsang. She’s a bat expert at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Insect-eating species, like the Mexican free-tailed bat, can consume thousands of bugs in a single night, including crop pests like moths and weevils. “They’re basically free insect control for farmers,” says Tsang.

Bats also keep forests healthy. The straw-colored fruit bat of sub-Saharan Africa, for example, carries pollen from tree to tree as it flies around feeding on nectar and fruit. Later, the fruit seeds come out in the bat’s droppings, planting trees in new locations. Wild bananas, guavas, and papayas all rely on bats to help them reproduce. Bats even inspire new technology. They have super-flexible wings, which allow them to fly differently from birds or insects, and can turn and swoop with remarkable agility. Engineers have studied how bats move to design ultra-maneuverable flying robots. One, nicknamed Bat Bot, can flap its wings 10 times per second and dive at more than 30 miles per hour.

Bats actually do many things that help us, says Susan Tsang. She’s a bat expert at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The Mexican free-tailed bat can eat thousands of bugs in a single night. That includes crop pests like moths and weevils. “They’re basically free insect control for farmers,” says Tsang.

Bats also keep forests healthy. The straw-colored fruit bat of Africa is one good example. This large bat flies from tree to tree to feed on nectar and fruit. As it does, it carries pollen between the trees. Later, the fruit seeds come out in the bat’s droppings. This plants trees in new locations. Wild bananas, guavas, and papayas all rely on bats to spread their seeds.

Bats even inspire new technology. Their super-flexible wings allow them to fly differently from birds or insects. They can turn and swoop like acrobats in the air. Engineers have studied how bats move to design flying robots. One of them is nicknamed Bat Bot. It can flap its wings 10 times per second and dive at more than 30 miles per hour.

Unfortunately, many bat populations are in decline—and humans are the biggest reason, says Tsang. Worldwide, bat habitats are shrinking as people take up more space. In some places, people hunt and eat large bats, such as flying foxes. White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats in North America, can be spread on the equipment used by people visiting caves.

A Southeast Asian species called the painted bat has a different problem: It’s so striking that it’s often sold as a spooky decoration. Its black-webbed wings and orange fingers and body make it “very much a Halloween bat,” Tsang explains. People capture and preserve the colorful bats to sell on the internet. U.S. officials have intercepted many illegal imports of painted bats, which typically increase before Halloween.

Both Tsang and Lear are working to keep the world’s amazing variety of bats from disappearing. That means finding out everything they can about the animals and what they need to survive. Bats are so mysterious that scientists are still discovering new species in the wild every year. “We’re constantly learning more about them,” says Tsang.

Unfortunately, many bat populations are in trouble. Humans are the biggest reason, says Tsang. As people take up more space worldwide, bat habitats are shrinking. In some places, people hunt and eat large bats. A disease called white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats in North America. It can spread on the equipment used by people visiting caves.

A Southeast Asian species called the painted bat has a different problem. It’s so striking that it’s often sold as a spooky decoration. It has black webbing on its wings and an orange body and fingers. Those colors make it “very much a Halloween bat,” explains Tsang. People capture and kill painted bats to sell on the internet. U.S. officials have caught smugglers importing painted bats illegally for Halloween.

Tsang and Lear want to keep the world’s amazing bats from disappearing. That means finding out everything they can about the animals and what they need to live. Bats are so mysterious that scientists are still discovering new species. “We’re constantly learning more about them,” says Tsang.