Bat

California leaf-nosed bat, Macrotus californicus

Description

Any small flying mammal of the order Chiroptera. Bats are found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world. Their acoustical system allows them to accurately locate items by emitting a sound and evaluating its echo (echolocation). Bats primarily feed on insects but may also eat fruits and pollen. Bats often live in historic sites and public buildings, such as churches, where they can be a nuisance due to their noise, droppings (guano), and odor.

Synonyms and Related Terms

bats; Chiroptera; flagermus (Dan.); Fledertiere (Deut.); murcilagos(Esp.); chiroptre (Fr.); pipistrello (It.); vleermuizen (Ned.; nietoperze (Pol.); morcego (Port.)

Little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus

Additional Information

English Heritage, 'Bats in Churches", www.english-heritage.org.uk/filestore/publications/pdf/free/bats_church.pdf

Additional Images

• Undrwds.Mastiff Bat Smith.jpg

  Underwood's mastiff bat, Eumops underwoodi

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  Bat hair

Authority

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "bat." Encyclopdia Britannica. 2005. Encyclopdia Britannica Premium Service 31 Jan. 2005 .

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat (Accessed Oct. 8, 2005)