The second largest order of mammals after rodents, bats comprise about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with over 1200 different bat species.

The smallest bat is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, also known as the bumblebee bat, which is 1.14-1.34" in length, 5.91" across the wings and .07-.09 oz in mass.

Because bats eat so many insects, which have exoskeletons made of a shiny material called chitin, some bat poop sparkles.

Bracken Cave, located less than 20 miles from downtown San Antonio, Texas, is the summer home of more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). It is the world's largest bat colony and one of the largest concentration of mammals on earth.

The Mexican free-tailed bat is the fastest bat and can achieve speeds of 99 MPH.

More than 7 million bats have died from White-Nose Syndrome. The disease, named for a white fungus on the muzzle and wings of bats, affects hibernating bats and has been detected in 34 states and 7 Canadian provinces.

Bats give birth to one pup per year. Like other mammals, mother bats feed their pups breastmilk, not insects.

Although most bats live less than 20 years in the wild, scientists have documented six species that live more than 30 years. In 2006, a Brandt's myotis bat from Siberia set the world record with a lifespan of 41 years.

Like cats, bats clean themselves. Far from being dirty, bats spend a lot of time grooming themselves. Some, like the Colonial bat, even groom each other. Besides having sleek fur, cleaning also helps control parasites.

A rare South American bat, the tube-lipped nectar bat (Anoura fistulata) has a tongue that is proportionally the longest of any mammal. The bat appears to have evolved its incredible tongue in order to feed exclusively from a tubular flower found in the "cloud forests" of Ecuador.