Jimmy Kadunc, age 13, of Cleveland, Ohio for his question:

 Do bats migrate?

The chief reason for migration is food supply. Birds migrate from northern winters to find more food in warmer climates. Among the larger animals the elk and caribou migrate from summer to winter feeding grounds. Most bats are little brown fellows who feed on insects and insects are noticeably absent during the colder months. Bats, then, must do something to preserve their lives through the winter.

Many of them migrate to southern climates. There the air is teeming with insects all year round. Not all bats migrate, however. Some decide to hibernate through the winter. These fellows eat extra food during the fall and take on a layer of fat. This fat will serve as their food supply during the long winter sleep. With the first cold days, the little furry creatures choose themselves cozy corners in hollow trees, in lofts, barns and. caves. They hang themselves upside down, and go into a deep sleep until the warm spring days wake up the first generations of insects.