Bat Facts: 13 Fun Facts About Bats

It's Bat Appreciation Day! Which means it's the perfect day to learn some fun facts about these fuzzy flying creatures!

I know some people don't like bats. They think they're icky and scary and creepy.

I, on the other hand, think they're adorable. I love the fuzzy little guys.

So, since it's Bat Appreciation Day, I thought I would share with you some fun facts about bats!

1. Bats can fly up to 60mph.

2. Bats can live more than 30 years! Which is longer than almost all house pets.

3. Many bats eat bugs, and some bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour. YOU GO BATS!

4. There are only 3 species of "vampire bats" (bats that live off of the blood of animals) But don't worry. NONE of these bats live in the United States.

5. More than half the population of bat species in the U.S. are in a severe decline or are endangered. :(

6. Female bats can only have one baby bat (pup) per year. Which is why they are so susceptible to extinction.

7. Some bats migrate south for the winter like birds, while others hibernate like bears.

8. Bat poop (guano) is one of the richest fertilizers. It used to be the largest mineral export out of Texas before it struck oil.

9. The world's largest bat is the "Flying Fox", which has a wingspan up to 6 feet!

10. The worlds smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat of Thailand, which is smaller than a thumbnail!

11. Bats are the only mammals able to fly!

12. Bats use echolocation to move and find food in the dark. They send out a high pitched sound (that we can't hear) to determine what is around them and how far away it is by listening to the echos from that sound once it gets back to them.

13. There is an anticoagulant in bat saliva that is currently being researched and could help treat humans with cardiac problems.

See? Bats aren't all that scary.

(Sources: Nature.org, HowStuffWorks.com)