Face of a pipistrelle bat. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Bats, of the order Chiroptera, are the only mammals in the world naturally capable of flight. About 70 per cent of bats are insectivorous, and many are nocturnal. They are not blind, although many species have small eyes and poor eyesight. Instead they rely on echolocation, emitting high-pitched sounds in regular patterns and using the returning echo to locate and identify objects.