Batlike

Batlike is an adjective used to describe features that resemble bats in appearance or function. In scientific and common usage it often refers to traits associated with true bats (order Chiroptera), especially wing form and locomotion, but it can also be used metaphorically for other organisms or objects that evoke bats.

Typical batlike features include wings formed by a patagium, a skin membrane stretched between the body and elongated fingers, producing a flexible flying surface. This wing design enables agile, low-speed flight and rapid turns. Many bats use echolocation to navigate and locate prey in darkness, though not all batlike descriptions require this trait. Roosting habits, such as cave or tree crevice dwelling, are also commonly cited when describing batlike behavior.

In paleontology and comparative anatomy, batlike descriptions help characterize fossils or taxa with similar wing membranes or flight strategies, including extinct flying mammals and some gliding species that show convergent evolution. In culture and fiction, batlike imagery is frequently employed to convey nocturnal, crepuscular, or eerie associations.