The custom of flying the flags 24 hours a day over the east and west fronts was begun during World War 1. Fifty flags of the United States are displayed at the Washington Monument continuously. When they hibernate, some bats drop their body temperature to just a few degrees above freezing. It can be fatal to them if they are disturbed during hibernation because it throws their bodies into shock. Bats are the mascots of cave explorers.
Bats are the primary pollinators through most of the tropics and many deserts.
Without them, many plants would not survive as a species. Plants that specialize in bat pollination bloom at night. This includes many important fruit trees in the tropics and cacti species in the deserts. Bats are not blind and have decent eyesight. However, they navigate primarily through sonar.