Facts About Bats

We get it—bats are kind of creepy. There’s the whole Dracula thing, and the perceived role they play in spreading viruses like COVID-19 and rabies. But bats—like sharks, snakes, spiders and other creatures people think of as scary—are fascinating animals that benefit every ecosystem they’re found in, including right here in Maryland and throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Bats are one of the most common group of mammals in the world, second only to rodents, and they’re the only mammals that can truly fly. They’re found all over in the globe, on every continent except Antarctica, in a wide range of habitats.

Megabats and Microbats

There are approximately 1,400 species of bats. These species—which are incredibly diverse—can be divided into two main types: megabats and microbats.

As their name suggests, megabats tend to be larger than microbats, although this isn’t always the case. Megabats live in tropical climates; feed on fruit, nectar and pollen; and don’t rely on echolocation like microbats do.

Microbats, which are more common than megabats, feed on insects like mosquitoes, flies and moths. A few species of these bats are carnivorous, eating small frogs, lizards and birds, and there are three species of vampire bats that feed on the blood of horses and cows. Vampire bats are found only in Central and South America and they, like all bats, do not attack people.

Another common misconception is that bats are blind, which is not true. Microbats use echolocation to help them hunt at night and navigate dark caves. By making high-pitched sounds that travel, hit objects and bounce back to them, bats can determine how big and far away these objects are.

Maryland’s Microbats

All bats found in Maryland are microbats. Of the more than 40 bat species found in the United States, Maryland is home to 10, possibly as many as 12, although reported sightings of Seminole and Southeastern bats have not been confirmed here.

Bats found in Maryland can be divided into two groups—tree bats, which migrate or overwinter in trees or leaf litter, and cave bats, which hibernate in caves, tunnels and mines.

According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, there are four species of tree bats and six species of cave bats found throughout the state.

Tree bats:

• Eastern red bat
• Evening bat
• Hoary bat
• Silver-haired bat

Cave bats:

• Big brown bat
• Eastern small-footed bat
• Indiana bat
• Little brown bat
• Northern long-eared bat
• Tri-colored bat

Maryland’s forests, wetlands and waterways are important for bats’ survival. They drink fresh water and need safe water sources that are out in the open so they can swoop down to take sips. Because insects are usually plentiful near ponds and streams, bats tend to feed in these areas, too.

Bats Benefit Humans

These feeding habits, consuming millions of bugs each night, mean bats play a critical part in controlling pest populations. It’s estimated that a single little brown bat can eat more than 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour! Some experts estimate that bats help save farmers and the U.S. agriculture industry millions of dollars annually on pest control.

In other parts of the world, megabats that drink nectar and eat fruit act as pollinators and seed dispersers. More than 500 tropical plant species rely on bats as their primary pollinators, including mangoes, bananas, cashews, avocados and agave, which is used to make tequila and mezcal. (Which is scarier—bats, or a world without margaritas and guacamole?)

And Humans Should Protect Bats

All species of bats in Maryland have seen serious population declines and are considered in need of protection, and they’re not alone.

Bats all over the world are facing an unprecedented number of threats today—from widespread deforestation and habitat loss, pesticide and insecticide pollution, wind turbines, invasive species, climate change and more. White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats in North America since it was discovered in 2006 and is responsible for wiping out large populations of Maryland’s cave bats.

People also intentionally harm bats and destroy their roosts out of fear, which is unfounded. The fact is that bats here in Maryland and all over the world contribute to healthy ecosystems and need our protection.

One of the National Aquarium’s conservation priorities is to protect wildlife and the places they live.