Every October, bats flutter through haunted houses, horror movies and Halloween decorations as symbols of darkness, danger and things that go bump in the night. Thanks to Dracula and generations of spooky stories, they've earned an undeserved reputation as tiny flying monsters.

Their nighttime habits, silent flight and ability to vanish into darkness have inspired legends for centuries. But the qualities that make bats seem mysterious are the very ones that make them extraordinary. Scientists continue to uncover more about their navigation, longevity and complex social lives.

Bats are the only mammals capable of true........

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