Bat from Africa, Nycteris thebaica Bats are mammals in the order Chiroptera. Their most distingushing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammal capable of flight. (Other mammals, such as flying squirrels and gliding phalangers, can glide for limited distances but are not capable of true flight). The word Chiroptera can be translated from the Greek words for "hand wing," as the structure of the open wing is very similar to an outspread human hand, with a membrane (patagium) between the fingers that also stretches between hand and body. 固opFoto / Fortean