Bats Wake Up at Night
1Bats are mammals that can fly. Most bats are nocturnal. They sleep through the day and wake up after dark. When the sun sets, they leave their resting places and go to search for food.
2Finding food in the dark is not easy, so many bats use echolocation. A bat makes a high squeak that people usually cannot hear. The sound travels through the air and bounces off a nearby object, such as a moth. The echo comes back to the bat's ears. From the echo, the bat can tell how far away the moth is and which way it is moving.
3During the day, a bat rests in a safe place called a roost. A roost might be a cave, a hollow tree, or a space under an old bridge. Many bats hang upside down while they rest.
4Some bats live alone, but others live in a colony. Thousands of bats may sleep side by side in one cave. Bats in a colony often huddle close, which helps keep them warm.
5Bats are helpful animals. Many bats devour insects. One small bat can eat a huge number of moths and mosquitoes in a single night. That is good news for farmers, because many insects harm crops.