8 Amazing Bat Facts taken from BCI
- Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight.
- Tequila is produced from agave plants that in the wild rely on bats as their primary pollinators.
- The world’s smallest bat is the Bumblebee Bat measuring up to 29 – 33 mm (1.1 –3 in) in length and 2 g (0.071 oz) in mass as a full-grown adult.
- The world’s largest bat is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox with a wingspan up to 6 ft!
- The oldest known bat was a male Brandt’s myotis who lived at least 41 years.
- The fastest bat in the world is the Mexican Free-tailed Bat, flying in short bursts at speeds up to 100 mph!
- Of the 1,400+ species of bats in the world, only three are vampire bats that drink blood.
- Bracken Cave is the world’s largest bat colony. Located near San Antonio, Texas, USA, this is a summer maternity colony for up to 20 million Mexican Free-tailed Bats.