Texas Bat Breaks Level-Flight Speed Record at 100 mph
Researchers tracking a Brazilian free-tailed bat in Texas found it can reach up to 100 mph in level flight, making it the fastest flying mammal and faster than swift or albatross in straight-line flight. Using a radio tag and a Cessna following the bat, they observed wind-driven speed adjustments and pauses that indicate occasional gliding, challenging the view that bats are aerodynamically inferior.