June Worley, age 11, of Scotts Mills, Ore., for her question:

DO BATS MIGRATE SOUTH IN THE WINTER?

Bats are fascinating creatures, unique in many ways. The only true flying mammals, they "see" with their ears, sleep hanging by their toes, wash their tongues and carry their babies piggy back on thrilling nighttime flights. Contrary to popular belief, most bats are completely harmless and are, in fact, extremely helpful to man.

Bats live almost everywhere in the world except the Antarctic, the Arctic tundra and a few isolated islands. Next to rodents, the billions upon billions of bats outnumber every other mammal group. Scientitsts tell us there are 850 or so spec.ies of bats, most of which live in the tropics where there is year round warmth.

North American bats face the wintry cold in two ways. Some hibernate in caves or other dark, secluded places. Their body processes practically reach a halt during this deep sleep. Their pulse rate becomes nearly imperceptible, and their breathing slows down to as few as 10 breaths an hour.

Many North American bats migrate to warmer regions where plenty of juicy insects are still active. These energetic fliers can cover 30 miles or more a day. Some species range between southern Canada in summer and the Gulf of Mexico in winter.

Bats usually hunt during the hours between dusk and dawn when insects are most abundant. Although their eyesight is fairly good, they fly by a system called echolocation. To lbcate food and to avoid flying into obstacles, they send out sounds from their mouth or nose. These short, high squeaks are beyond our hearing range, but you can be sure other bats hear them. These sounds bounce off objects, echoing back to the bat's ears. Instantly the bat knows the size and movements of an object and how far away it is.

A typical night's search for food involves tremendous energy, during which time a bat may consume its own weight in insects or other food. Perhaps this explains why these creatures hang motionless during the day, recharging their batteries.

Many farmers consider bats harmful. Numerous tropical species eat large quantities of fruit and sometimes transmit rabies when they bite livestock. Taken as a whole, though, bats are helpful. The flower feeding varieties pollinate flowers, and insect eating bats consume billions of destructive pests every night. What's more, bat manure, collected periodically in caves, is a valuable fertilizer for crops.

Bats lead exhilarating lives and do just about everything well. They soar through the night with ease, capture plenty of food, get along well in huge groups, care for their single offspring tenderly, and keep themselves clean. They do have a few shortcomings, however, such as gobbling up fruit crops. All in all, though, their helpful habits outweigh the bad.