what is the only mammal that can fly

The only mammal that can truly fly is the bat.

Quick Scoop

• Bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight, meaning they can flap their wings to take off, climb, turn, and sustain flight, not just glide.

• Other so‑called “flying” mammals, like flying squirrels and flying lemurs, actually just glide using skin membranes that let them drift from tree to tree.

• Bats are incredibly diverse: there are over 1,400 bat species worldwide, making roughly one‑fifth of all known mammal species “fliers.”

When people ask “what is the only mammal that can fly,” the precise answer is: the bat, because it is the only mammal with wings adapted for true, sustained flight rather than gliding or falling with style.

TL;DR: The answer to “what is the only mammal that can fly” is the bat. All other “flying” mammals just glide, they do not truly fly.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.