These winged creatures are the only mammals capable of true flight. The order is broken into two suborders, Megachiroptera, the large herbivorous fruit bats, and Microchiroptera, the small insectivorous bats. The predatory insectivorous bats hunt flying insects by means of echolocation. Fruit bats lack the ability of echolocation. Bats vary in size from 1.5 grams to as large as 1500 grams.
Bats roost in caves, hollow trees, foliage and human habitations.
They are important to humans because they consume many insects and therefore prevent crop destruction. The skulls of bats are fragile and intricate, containing a minimum of 20 teeth and a maximum of 38. The sutures of the skull tend to disappear with age, becoming fused.