Which mammal can fly?
Quick answer
Bats are the only mammals capable of true, sustained flight. Their wings are thin membranes of skin stretched over very long finger bones. Other “flying” mammals, like flying squirrels and colugos, can only glide, not flap to stay in the air.
Flying vs gliding
| Animal | Can it truly fly? | How it moves through air |
|---|---|---|
| Bats | Yes | Flapping wings, steering and climbing |
| Flying squirrels | No | Gliding with skin flaps between legs |
| Colugos (“flying lemurs”) | No | Gliding; the best gliding mammals |
| Sugar gliders | No | Gliding marsupials |
How bat wings work
A bat’s wing is basically a hand. Its finger bones are extremely long, with a stretchy skin membrane between them. This lets bats change wing shape mid-flight, making them more agile than many birds. They can hover, turn sharply and even catch insects with their wings.
Bat facts
- There are more than 1,400 species, about one in five of all mammal species.
- The smallest, Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (bumblebee bat), weighs about 2 grams.
- The largest, flying foxes, have wingspans up to about 1.7 m.
- Many bats use echolocation: they make high-pitched calls and listen for echoes to “see” in the dark.
- Fruit bats mostly use their eyes and sense of smell.
Why bats matter
| Role | Example |
|---|---|
| Pest control | A single little brown bat can eat hundreds of insects in an hour |
| Pollination | Agave plants, used for tequila, rely on bats |
| Seed spreading | Fruit bats help regrow tropical forests |
Bats also face threats such as habitat loss and white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed millions in North America. Because some bats can carry diseases, never handle a wild bat with bare hands.
For more record-breaking flyers, see the fastest bird. Biodiversity like this matters to people too; read why biodiversity is important.
Still curious?
Jump to a random question from the archive.