The long-eared, pointy-toothed bat isn't a cuddly creature that rallies save-the-whale types to its aid and defense. But bats are vital to the ecology of Earth, which is where humans also live. Bats ...

This is the time of year when people display big pictures of cartoonish fanged bats in their windows and hang rubber bats from the ceilings at Halloween parties. But behind the scenes, real live bats ...