Bats belong to the order Chiroptera, which is divided into major groups that showcase their remarkable diversity.
- Microbats (Microchiroptera): Most species, typically small, use echolocation for navigation and hunting, and include families such as Vespertilionidae (evening bats) and Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats).
- Megabats (Pteropodidae): Also called fruit bats or flying foxes, these bats are generally larger, rely on vision and smell rather than echolocation, and primarily consume fruit and nectar.
- Vampire Bats (Desmodontinae): A small, specialized subfamily of microbats that feed on blood, using unique adaptations for their hematophagous lifestyle.
Microbats, megabats, and vampire bats are all members of the order Chiroptera.
Megabats primarily consume fruit and nectar.
Microbats are typically nocturnal and use echolocation.
Vampire bats belong to the subfamily *Desmodontinae*.