Bats get a bad rap. They're often perceived as spooky-looking, blood-sucking, rabies-carrying, cave-dwelling, upside down-hanging pests, only celebrated on Halloween; however, these diverse and widely distributed flying mammals are actually broadly beneficial to the ecosystems in which they and we  live.

The order Chiroptera includes more than 1,400 species of bats, making up a sizable chunk of the entire class Mammalia. They are the only mammals capable of flight and can be found almost anywhere in the world. Find out what's behind those pointy ears and veiny wings that makes bats one of the most important animals on Earth.

1. Bats Account for a Quarter of All Mammalian Species

With more than 1,300 species included in the order Chiroptera, bats represent one of the largest orders of mammals, making up more than 20 percent of the class Mammalia.1 They are surpassed only by the order Rodentia, which boasts more than 2,000 species, representing 40 percent of all mammalian species.

Chiroptera is separated into two suborders: megabats and microbats. Megabats, commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, have excellent vision and feast on fruit and nectar whereas microbats are characterized by their use of echolocation and appetites for insects and blood.

2. They're Found Across the Planet

As with birds, bats' wings allow them to travel to all corners of the world, from Africa to Australia to Canada. They do, however, tend to avoid polar regions.

Bats generally roost in caves, crevices, foliage, and man-made structures like attics or under bridges. At least 40 species of bats are present in the U.S. alone, with the most common species being the little brown bat, the big brown bat, and the Mexican free-tailed bat.

3. They Use Echolocation To Hunt Prey

Although microbats are not blind, their true perceptive strength lies in their ability to use echolocation.

Similar to shrews, dolphins, and some cave-dwelling birds, bats forage for food by emitting a continuous stream of high-pitched sounds audible only to other bats. When the sound waves collide with a nearby insect or object, the interrupted waves echo back, generating an acute sonic representation of the bat's surroundings. They can detect objects as thin as a single human hair.

4. Bat Colonies Save Humans Billions in Pest Control

There's no need for harmful pesticides when you have a robust colony of bats nearby. Some individuals can eat more than 600 insects per hour making bats a perfect choice for organic pest control.

The U.S. Department of Interior puts the agricultural value of this service anywhere between $3.7 and $53 billion.6 Scientists predict this could change within the next decade as North American bat populations face emerging threats like habitat loss and disease.

5. Yes, Some Do Drink Blood

Contrary to what their name suggests, vampire bats don't actually suck blood, but they do use their razor-sharp teeth to make small incisions in the skin of sleeping animals, then consume the blood as it runs from the wound.

They only require about two tablespoons of blood per day, so the victim's loss is negligible and seldom causes harm. Additionally, bat saliva has an anesthetic quality similar to that of a mosquito's, which helps prevent the victim from even feeling the cut.