Bat Fun Facts

Many bat species cannot walk because of their thin legs. However, vampire bats can walk and jump. .

Bats echolocate: they use high pitched sounds to find their way in the dark. If the sound hits an object and echoes back, the bat knows the object is there.

Bats make up about 25% of all mammal species. There are over 1,000 bat species.
Some bats can fly 50 mph.

Vampire Bats

Only three species of bats eat blood—these species are also known as vampire bats.

Vampire bats do not suck blood; they use their teeth to cut the victim and then they lick the blood.

Also the bat uses its saliva to keep the blood from clotting. Most victims are other animals, rarely humans.

A vampire bat uses its nose to sense heat on the body of its victim. A warmer spot is where the blood is close to the surface.

Vampire bats normally do not cause any hurt or major injury to the animals they feed on (generally cattle, horses, and birds). Only if the bat has rabies, it might pass the rabies on to the other animal.

Vampire bats only need blood to survive. If they could not find blood within 2-3 days, they will die. A normal daily blood diet for a bat is about ½ its body weight.