Flight

Bats love to fly. Most bats fly at night. Bats are the only mammals that can fly.

A bat's body is made for flying. The neck is short. The chest is big. The stomach is small.

The bat's wings push the bat through the air.

A bat's wing has long bones. The long bones are covered with skin. The skin is very thin. Light can shine through skin.

The sides of the bat's body, legs and tail are covered with skin. The skin is special. It is thin and flat. The thin, flat skin helps bats fly.

A bat has thumbs. The thumbs do not have skin. A bat's thumbs help it to climb trees. A bat wing is like an airplane wing.

Some bats use their tails to catch insects.

Bats fly with a rowing motion.

Bats have large muscles in their backs and chests. These large muscles help bats move their wings.

Bats can move their wings one at time. Moving one wing helps bats stop.

Bats are true fliers. They use energy to flap their wings. Bats can glide through the air.

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Last modified: Wed Jul 2 11:45:20 PDT 1997