Bats can be found almost all over earth, but they can not be found in very hot and really cold polar climates. Bats live on all continents except Antarctica. You can find different kinds of bats where the weather is nice and warm, like near the equator or in rainforests. You might also find bats in caves, buildings, hollow trees, among leaves, rocks and other protected areas. Few bats live on islands that are far away from the continents, since it is too far away for bats to fly the distance to reach the equator.

In the United States, the greatest number of bats live in the south western part of the United States. More bats live in the  south western part of the country because it has different kinds of areas where bats can live and where food is available for the most of the year. In Texas there are thirty-two different kinds of bats living there, but in Maine there are only eight species of bats, and in Arizona there are twenty-eight species.

Bats live in barns, attics, and caves, and houses. They like anyplace that is cold and dark. They usually live in small groups. But their colony size can be in the 1,000's.