MAMMALS OF OHIO f i e l d g u i d e

CHIROPTERA
ORDER
Chiroptera
B
ats are especially unique because
they are the only group of
mammals that have wings and can fly.
A few other mammals have “gliding
membranes” that allow them to soar
through air for a short time, but they
cannot truly fly like bats and birds.
All Ohio bats are insectivorous and eat
flying insects that they can catch on the
wing, but some species in other parts
of the world may feed on fruit, blood,
or other vertebrates. Because bats are
nocturnal and it is not easy to see in the
dark, they use echolocation to navigate
and find food at night. Bats echolocate
by making high-pitched sounds which
produce sound waves that bounce off
objects in the environment. The bats
listen to the returning echo to determine
details about their surroundings.
Bats typically mate in the fall, right
before winter hibernation begins.
However, ovulation and fertilization of
the egg are delayed until the females
awake from hibernation the following
spring. This is referred to as delayed
fertilization.