Bats have garnered a bad reputation from their association with drinking blood, carrying rabies, and being generally creepy. If you take a closer look, though, they’re actually adorable and fascinating animals and are just as “aww”-worthy as puppies or kittens.
1. Bats only have one baby at a time.
The same as humans, bat mothers give live birth to one baby at a time, but sometimes she will have twins. Bats also only have one or two babies a year.
2. They eat up to their own body weight in insects every night.
They’re doing all of us an incredible favor. How can you hate something that eats mosquitoes?
3. Bat moms can pick out their baby’s sound and smell out of thousands of others.
I don’t think my mom or yours could do that.
4. They are symbols of happiness in China and Japan.
The West, once again, gets it wrong.
5. Bats are more closely related to humans than they are to rodents.
I don’t actually know how to feel about this one. Maybe evidence that vampires are possible?
6. They aren’t gross at all!
Bats are seen as dirty, but they actually groom themselves often and aren’t any more likely to carry rabies than other mammals.
7. Their poop is incredibly useful.
Bat droppings are used as fertilizer and they produce bacteria that’s used in soaps and antibiotics. Don’t think too much about that one.
8. They’re very social.
Bats hate being alone and are usually cuddled up to many others in their same colony.
9. Baby bats babble just like human babies.
They make noise to get their mom’s attention the same way human kids do. Baby talk is universal!
10. Nearly all bats eat insects or fruit.
Vampire bats do live off of blood, but they are much less common and only live in South and Central America.
Bats may be misunderstood animals, but they are much cuter and innocent than most people think. Since many bat species are endangered, it’s important that we love and appreciate them so that they can get the help they need!