Read It!

Bats are a mystery to most people. In fact, many people have never even seen a bat up close. Yet there are bats living all over the United States—and in most other countries of the world.

Why do people know so little about bats? The biggest reason is that most bats are nocturnal—they sleep in the daytime and hunt at night. And they are shy. It’s hard to find them, and even harder to study them. Scientists are still learning new things about these amazing creatures.

But we do know that bats are about the most misunderstood animals in the world. Many people don’t like them. And some people are terrified of them—probably because they have seen pictures of bats with scary-looking faces. But as strange as bats sometimes look, they are not frightening or dangerous animals. In fact, they are actually very gentle. And they do a lot of good for people.

For one thing, bats are the world’s most important predators of night-flying insects. They eat mosquitoes and many of the bugs that destroy our crops. For another thing, fruit-and nectar-eating bats scatter the seeds of some of our favorite fruits. And they pollinate many beautiful trees and tropical shrubs. If it weren’t for bats, tropical forests would not be as lush and green. And we might not have bananas, figs, avocados, cashew nuts, and many other wonderful foods. Even bats’ poop is useful! The poop, called guano, is used by farmers to fertilize crops.

But that’s not all there is to admire about bats. They are also the only mammals that can fly! As you can see, bats are both fascinating and valuable animals. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to tell your friends why bats are such wonderful and mysterious creatures

Read It!

Bats are a mystery to most people. In fact, many people have never even seen a bat up close. Yet there are bats living all over the United States—and in most other countries of the world.

Why do people know so little about bats? The biggest reason is that most bats are nocturnal—they sleep in the daytime and hunt at night. And they are shy. It’s hard to find them, and even harder to study them. Scientists are still learning new things about these amazing creatures.

But we do know that bats are about the most misunderstood animals in the world. Many people don’t like them. And some people are terrified of them—probably because they have seen pictures of bats with scary-looking faces. But as strange as bats sometimes look, they are not frightening or dangerous animals. In fact, they are actually very gentle. And they do a lot of good for people.

For one thing, bats are the world’s most important predators of night-flying insects. They eat mosquitoes and many of the bugs that destroy our crops. For another thing, fruit-and nectar-eating bats scatter the seeds of some of our favorite fruits. And they pollinate many beautiful trees and tropical shrubs. If it weren’t for bats, tropical forests would not be as lush and green. And we might not have bananas, figs, avocados, cashew nuts, and many other wonderful foods. Even bats’ poop is useful! The poop, called guano, is used by farmers to fertilize crops.

But that’s not all there is to admire about bats. They are also the only mammals that can fly! As you can see, bats are both fascinating and valuable animals. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to tell your friends why bats are such wonderful and mysterious creatures