APL Store APL Parentables
  • TV SHOWS
    • Animal Cops
    • Bad Dog!        
    • Cats 101
    • Call of the Wildman        
    • Confessions: Animal Hoarding
    • Dogs 101
    • Dog Park        
    • Fatal Attractions
    • Finding Bigfoot
    • The Haunted
    • Hillbilly Handfishin'
    • It's Me or the Dog
    • I Shouldn't Be Alive
    • Lost Tapes
    • My Cat from Hell
    • My Extreme Animal Phobia
    • Pit Boss
    • Pit Bulls & Parolees
    • Puppy Bowl
    • Rat Busters NYC
    • River Monsters
    • Swamp Wars
    • Tanked
    • Too Cute! Kittens
    • Whale Wars
    • More TV Shows
    |
  • TV SCHEDULES
    • Daily TV Schedule
    • Weekly TV Schedule
    |
  • THE SPOT
    • Celebrate Pets With Us!
    • Share Photos
    • Today’s Wall of Fame Photo
    • Dog and Cat Photo Albums
    • Daily Treat: Pet News and Trends
    • Happy Everything: Holiday Ideas
    • Secret Society of Cat People
    • Share Happy Tails With Petfinder
    • Get Your Pet on TV
    • More Social: Facebook and Twitter
    |
  • PETS 101
    • Dog Breed Selector     
    • Dog Guide
    • Dog Health
    • Special: Small Dogs
    • Cat Breed Selector
    • Cat Guide
    • Cat Health
    • Special: Kittens’ First Year
    • Fish, Birds and More Pets
    • Healthy Pets
    • Pet Travel
    • Pet Games
    • Pet Video
    • More on Pets
    |
  • WILD ANIMALS
    • A to Z Wild Animals
    • Animal Facts
    • Adventure Fishing
    • Amphibians
    • Baby Animals
    • Butterfly Guide
    • Cryptozoology: Animals Not Recognized by Science
    • Endangered Species Guide
    • Extinct Animals
    • Insects and Arachnids
    • Mammal Guide
    • Marine Life
    • Reptiles
    • Wild Animal Pictures
    • Wild Animal Top 10's
    • Wild Bird Guide
    • More Wild Animals
    |
  • GAMES
    • Adopt a Pet Parasite
    • Build Your Own Aquarium
    • Mutt Maker
    • Pet Spa Challenge
    • Plants vs. Zombies
    • River Monsters Game 
    • Sport Fishing in the Amazon
    • Arcade Games
    • Card Games
    • Pet Games
    • Puzzles
    • Sports Games
    • Strategy Games
    • Quizzes
    • Most Popular Games
    • Games For Kids
    |
  • VIDEO
    • Bad Dog!
    • Cats 101
    • Confessions: Animal Hoarding
    • Dog. Friend. Hero.
    • Dogs 101
    • Fatal Attractions
    • Finding Bigfoot
    • I Shouldn't Be Alive
    • It's Me or the Dog
    • Lost Tapes
    • My Cat from Hell
    • Pit Bulls & Parolees
    • Puppy Bowl
    • River Monsters
    • Small Dogs, Big Jobs
    • Swamp Wars
    • Tanked
    • Too Cute! Puppies and Kittens
    • Whale Wars
    • Top 30 Cat Breeds
    • Top 100 Dog Breeds
    |
  • BLOGS
    • Animal Planet's Bigger Picture
    • Animals in the News            
    • Animal Oddities                    
    • Cat Scratchings                
    • Cute Pets Wall of Fame
    • The Daily Treat
    • The Mole: Inside Animal Planet
    • Petfinder Blog: Animal Adoption
    • All Blog Headlines
    • More Social: Facebook and Twitter
    |
  • ROAR
    • About R.O.A.R.
    • Causes and Issues
    • Gulf Oil Spill
    • Partners
    • R.O.A.R. Impact
    • Shop for a Cause
    • Volunteer Now
    |
  • NEWSLETTER |
  • SHOP
    • Sale
    • Gift Sets
    • Custom Gear
    • DVDs & Books
    • In Stores Now
    • Ringtones & Wallpaper
    • Animal Planet Toys
    • Travel With Us
  • Animal Planet > 
  • Guides > 
  • Wild Animals > 
  • Mammals > 
  • Bats

Print
Cite This!
Close 
Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this Animal Planet article:

"How and why do bats hang upside down all day?"  05 October 2007.  AnimalPlanet.com. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/question668.htm>  10 February 2012.
Cite
Feedback

Top 100 Dog Breeds

Meet the Top 100 Dog Breeds

What makes these breeds so special? Take a fun and expert look. Then find out which breed is best for you.

Inside this Article
  1. How and why do bats hang upside down all day?
  2. Lots More Information
  1. See all Bats articles

Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

  • How Bats Work
  • How Vampires Work
  • How Hearing Works
  • How Evolution Works
  • How Animal Camouflage Works

More Great Links

  • Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet­
  • Bat Conservation International
  • Bat Research Laboratory
  • Organization for Bat Conservation

­­­

Previous Page

More Great Links

Shark Pictures
Shark Pictures
Amazing Animals: Alligator Quiz
Amazing Animals: Alligator Quiz
10 Rules for Houseguests with Pets
10 Rules for Houseguests with Pets
Amazing Animals: Bedbug Quiz
Amazing Animals: Bedbug Quiz
10 Things to Pack When Traveling with a Pet
10 Things to Pack When Traveling with a Pet
Watch animal videos »

You Might Also Like

Panda

Panda, the name of two mammals of Asia, the lesser panda and the giant panda.

The Ultimate Tasmanian Devil Quiz

The Tasmanian devil looks and sounds terrifying, and its bite is even worse. However, the Tasmanian devil population is being devastated by a contagious cancer. Take this quiz to learn more about the Tasmanian devil's problem with possible extinction.

Popular Articles

  • What's the difference between an anteater and an aardvark?
  • Amazing Animals: Primate Quiz
  • Dolphins
Inside this Article
  1. How and why do bats hang upside down all day?
  2. Lots More Information
  1. See all Bats articles
Previous Page

So Cute It's Scary!

FPO
  • VIDEO: Man Scared to Tears by Puppy
  • Too Cute: Puppy Videos!
  • Real Cute: Find a Dog Park
  • Find Your Perfect Breed

Are You a Gamer?

FPO
  • Go Sport Fishing in the Amazon!
  • Build a Virtual Aquarium
  • Join a Cat Fight
  • Spider Solitaire
  • Mahjongg in 3D
  • Play More Games»
OUR SITES
  • Animal Planet
  • Discovery Channel
  • Discovery Kids
  • Discovery Fit & Health
  • HD Theater
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Military Channel
  • Oprah Winfrey Network
  • Planet Green
  • Science Channel
  • TLC
  • Turbo
  • Velocity
  • Consumer Guide Auto
  • Consumer Guide Products
  • Discovery Education
  • Discovery Retreats
  • Discovery News
  • HowStuffWorks
  • Petfinder
  • Student Competitions
  • TreeHugger
VIDEO
  • Animal Planet Video
MOBILE
  • Mobile Applications
  • Wallpaper & Ringtones
  • Mobile Video
  • Mobile Web
  • Games & Applications
  • Text Alerts
SHOP
  • Animal Planet Store
  • DVDs & Books
  • Custom Gear
  • Kids
  • Gift Sets
  • Sale
  • Discovery Adventures
  • Student Adventures
  • Discovery TSX
  • Discovery Corporate Sales
STAY CONNECTED
  • Email Newsletters
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
CORPORATE
  • Discovery Communications, LLC
  • Viewer Relations
  • Advertising
  • Careers @ Discovery
  • Privacy Policy
  • Visitor Agreement

Copyright © 2012 Discovery Communications, LLC. The number-one nonfiction media company.