Wildlife · Mammal facts hub
Are bats mammals?
Bats are mammals — fur, milk and warm blood, plus the only true powered flight in the class.
In brief
Yes. Bats are mammals — the only mammals capable of true powered flight. They nurse pups with milk and are warm-blooded.
By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated
With more than 1,400 species, bats (order Chiroptera) are the second-largest mammal group after rodents. They nurse pups with milk and are endothermic. Microbats echolocate for insects; megabats feed on fruit and nectar. White-nose syndrome has killed millions in North America since 2006. Trafficking and roost destruction threaten species worldwide.
1,400+
Bat species — ~20% of mammals
Millions
North American deaths from white-nose syndrome
Only
Mammals with true powered flight
Billions $
Estimated annual US agricultural value from pest control
Quick facts
| Class | Mammalia — not birds |
|---|---|
| Flight | Powered flight via elongated finger bones and wing membrane |
| Microbats | Mostly echolocating insect hunters |
| Megabats | Flying foxes — fruit, nectar, vision-led foraging |
| Roosts | Caves, trees, buildings — vulnerable to destruction |
| Disease | White-nose syndrome — fungal, kills hibernating bats |
Key takeaways
- Bats are mammals — fur, milk, warm-blooded.
- Only mammals with true powered flight.
- 1,400+ species — second-largest mammal order.
- White-nose syndrome killed millions in North America.
- Critical pollinators and pest controllers globally.
- Roost protection and wind policy matter for conservation.
Mammal traits in bats
Bats possess fur, live birth and mammary glands — females nurse pups, often in maternity colonies. They maintain high body temperature when active and enter torpor or hibernation to conserve energy. Skeleton retains mammalian features despite flight adaptation: five digits in each wing, with elongated metacarpals supporting wing membrane. Brain size relative to body is large in some fruit bats. Echolocating microbats have enlarged auditory cortex. These are not bird traits — birds have feathers, gills never, and lay hard-shelled eggs without nursing.
Ecological roles
Insectivorous bats consume agricultural and forest pests — estimates credit billions of dollars in US crop protection alone. Fruit bats pollinate durian, agave and many tropical trees; seed dispersal aids forest regeneration. Nectar bats co-evolved with columnar flowers. Loss of bat populations increases pesticide use and reduces pollination services. Cave-roosting species concentrate nutrients through guano, supporting cave ecosystems. Single colony loss from cave disturbance or wind turbine siting can remove thousands of individuals essential to local pest control.
White-nose syndrome and other threats
Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus grows on hibernating bats' muzzles and wings, disrupting torpor and causing starvation and dehydration. Since 2006 it spread across North America, killing millions of little brown bats and other species — some regional populations collapsed over ninety percent. Wind energy kills migrating bats at turbines. Roost destruction, persecution and bushmeat trade affect tropical megabats. Climate change shifts insect phenology, potentially mismatching bat emergence with peak prey abundance.
Conservation actions
Protecting roost sites — caves, old trees, bat boxes — reduces disturbance. Wind farm operators curtail turbines during migration peaks in some regions. Research on white-nose treatment continues; human access to hibernacula is restricted to limit spore spread. Avoiding wild bat capture for pets and traditional medicine reduces trafficking pressure. WARN's bat guide links identification to habitat protection — bats are not pests but threatened mammals with measurable ecosystem value.