Split-second reflexes help the creature change flight direction to dodge obstructions or intercept prey. A bat will use its mouth to scoop a small insect out of the air. A larger insect is often disabled with a quick bite, cradled in a basket formed by the wings and tail, and carried to the ground or to a perch for eating. If an insect takes last second evasive action, the bat may flick out a wing, nab its prey, and draw the insect back to its mouth. Bats have sharp teeth to chew their food into tiny, easily digested pieces.
Most bats mate in late summer or early fall, although some breed in winter.
The male's sperm is stored in the female's reproductive system until spring, when fertilization occurs. The young, born in summer, are naked, blind, and helpless. They are nursed by their mothers as other mammals, and by six weeks of age, most are self-sufficient and nearly adult size. The reproductive potential of bats is low. There is only one litter per year.