Bats are mammals and account for more than 25 percent of all the mammals on the earth.  Bats are the only mammals that can fly.  Mother bats have one baby in their litter and the baby bats are called “pups.”  Although some people say all bats look like flying mice, their heads sometimes look like tiny dogs, bears or foxes.  Depending on the species, bats can be gray, brown, white or reddish brown. Bats are very sociable animals, and live in large colonies.  Depending on the type of bat, their life span is between four and thirty years.

Bats like to live in dark places.  Caves, holes in trees and even buildings are favorite homes.  Bats are nocturnal, they sleep during the day and are active at night.  Bats have teeth and chew their food.  Seventy percent of all bats eat insects.  One bat can eat more than a thousand insects in one hour!  Very few carry rabies, and they help to control the insect population. They also help seed new plants and pollinate crops.  Bats are not a danger to people and are actually quite valuable, in fact they are protected and must not be destroyed.  Having a colony removed from your residence is quite costly.