Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Bats

Bats are the only true flying mammals, constituting the order Chiroptera, the second most species-rich mammalian order. Their defining adaptation is the patagium, a membrane of skin stretched between greatly elongated forelimb digits that forms a functional wing and enables powered, sustained flight. Bats are tradit…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 31× across the literature 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Bats are the only true flying mammals, constituting the order Chiroptera, the second most species-rich mammalian order. Their defining adaptation is the patagium, a membrane of skin stretched between greatly elongated forelimb digits that forms a functional wing and enables powered, sustained flight. Bats are traditionally divided into echolocating microbats, many of which navigate and hunt using ultrasonic biosonar, and the larger fruit- and nectar-feeding megabats that rely primarily on vision and olfaction. Ecologically they are exceptionally important: insectivorous species exert substantial control over arthropod populations, while frugivorous and nectarivorous species act as key pollinators and long-distance seed dispersers, sustaining the regeneration of many tropical and subtropical plant communities. Bats also exhibit notable physiological traits, including longevity disproportionate to body size, torpor and hibernation, and distinctive immune adaptations. They are widely studied as natural reservoir hosts for a broad diversity of viruses, and their apparent immunological tolerance of infection without overt disease is an established subject of biological and virological interest. Because of this reservoir status, bats are frequently examined in research on zoonotic and emerging viruses, a general and well-documented aspect of their biology that informs understanding of cross-species transmission, host immunity, and the ecology of infectious agents in wildlife populations.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 31 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Bats, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in International Journal of Ornithology.

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.