Big and Little Brown Bat Millions of years ago, bats soared among the dinosaurs. Today's bats keep the same schedule, swooping out at dusk and disappearing at dawn. Bats are the only flying mammals. Wings of elastic skin spread out from the sides of their furry bodies. Bats can fly in total darkness by using echolocation. They bounce sounds off of nearby objects. Then they judge distances by the time required for the echo to return. The big brown bat zooms through the Catskills at speeds up to forty miles per hour.

His smaller relative, the little brown bat, flies between twenty to thirty mph. Bats have huge appetites. On the menu are night-flying insects such as beetles, moths and mosquitoes. One little brown bat can gobble 1,200 insects in just an hour! Bats are nature's original bug zapper. They reduce the need for harmful pesticides. Baby bats are born tail first. They are blind and naked. The mother bat gives birth to usually just one baby bat, called a pup, each year.

She gives birth upside down, hanging by her feet and thumbs. Big and little brown bats live in tree hollows and buildings. Each winter they hibernate for up to seven months. These bats can decrease their heart rate to between ten to twenty beats per minute. Bats gained a bad rap as evil creatures because of their appearance. However, these night-flying goblins will not suck your blood or get tangled in your hair. Never handle bats and you'll have nothing to fear.