IT A BOUT B ATS he bat is the only flying mammal in existence. Recent acoustic surveys by resource managers indicate that at least 15 bat species are found in Yosemite, including the rare spotted bat. The spotted bat is named for three distinctive white spots on its black back. It also has the largest ears of any bat in North America.
Most bats eat insects, which they hunt at night.
Bats find food by echolocation, uttering a series of high-pitched squeaks that bounce off objects such as insects. Species such as the spotted bat emit a squeak when they feed so you can sometimes hear them at night. Unfortunately, bat populations have decreased dramatically in the last 20 years due to pesticides, habitat loss, and human disturbance of caves. Yosemite contains one of the last remaining spotted bat populations in California. Check at a visitor center for more information.