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Furry fliers
Bats travel to their hibernation sites in winter
In the UK, pipistrelle bats migrate in autumn from the north to spend winter in the warmer south-west. Some even cross the channel to reach southern Europe. In North America, free-tailed bats migrate in huge numbers to hibernation sites in Texas and Mexico. Over 20 million may gather in a single cave.
Bats navigate by echolocation. This means they make high-pitched noises that bounce off objects around them to create an echo. This echo tells them where they are. Today scientists can use echolocation transmitters to hear these noises and discover exactly where bats are flying at night.
Last modified: 11 January 2005