Birds are very different beings from other animals in terms of their appearance, physical attributes, their ability to fly and reproductive system. No mammal has been identified with the ability to fly except bats. Bats are the only mammals that can fly. They fly like birds, by beating the air with their wings. However, a bat’s wings are not like a bird’s wings at all.
The wings of a bat are actually its forelimbs that have grown very long. Unlike other birds, its wings have no feathers – rather, a thin membrane stretches across the ‘fingers’.
The toes of the hind limbs are long, with curved claws that the bat uses for hanging from trees. Most bats feed on insects in the evening. Since bats sleep during the day and are active at night, they are called ‘nocturnal’ animals. They sleep upside down using their feet to grasp onto a twig or board. When it is cold, they hang close together.
There are more than 1000 species of bats in the world and they are found in every continent except Antarctica. Like other mammals, they give birth to live babies. The babies feed on their mother’s milk. Many bats have a special ability that allows them to find their way, and their prey, in complete darkness!
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