Bats make up a quarter of the mammalian diversity on the planet. The African continent and Madagascar and its associated islands contain about 321 extant species of bats, which comprises about 25% of the global bat diversity. Bats are an important component in ecosystem health and condition. They occupy a critical niche, the insectivorous species being primary nocturnal predators, while frugivorous species are critical for forest regeneration. Find out more about why bats are important and what we are doing to conserve them here.