Locally known as “Chamera” in Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya, bats commonly evoke a feeling of fear and evil. Nocturnal
elusive habits , dark caves , abandoned and ghostly houses often associated with bats generate spooky stories. To add to this, bats are also known to be involved in many emerging zoonotic diseases in the human population. Despite all the ill fame and myths, bats are mammals that hold significant evolutionary history, fascinating adaptations , and important ecological roles in the global ecosystem.

Bats fly. Bats are placed in a mammal group called Chiroptera, meaning “hand wings” in Greek1. The front limbs of bats are modified with very long fingers, other than the thumb. These long fingers are joined by a membrane that extends from the posterior border of the forearm and upper arm to the side of the body and leg as far as the ankle or foot to form a wing membrane, which makes flights in bats possible. The thumb which
remains free from the membrane is used to climb or hold food. Bats feed on insects , small mammals , amphibians, fish, fruits, pollen, nectar and also blood.