Bat Coloring Pages – 36 Fun Pages for Kids

Bats do not get much credit for being remarkable, but they are the only mammals that truly fly, steering, climbing, and hovering through the dark with wings built from stretched out fingers. This collection of 36 free bat coloring pages lets kids and grown-up animal lovers spend time with that shape up close, from a simple round eared face to a bat wrapped tight in its own wings. Print a few pages, grab some crayons or colored pencils, and get to know this odd, gentle, and genuinely useful little flier.

Our 36 Free Bat Coloring Pages

Every bat coloring page here is free and printable. Just click the picture you like to open the full PDF, sized to print cleanly on A4 paper. The 36 sheets are grouped by theme and range from very easy, big lined outlines that suit a first time colorer, up to detailed, patterned scenes with fine linework for older kids and adults who enjoy a slower, more careful coloring session.

Bat Portraits

Fruit bat hanging from a branch

A furry fruit bat hangs upside down from a tree branch with its wings fully spread, a full moon and six stars filling the night sky behind it, framed by large leaves in the corners.

Close-up bat face with big ears

A close-up of a fluffy bat’s face fills the page, with two huge ribbed ears standing straight up and clawed feet gripping a branch below. Dense leaves surround the head, and the fur is drawn in short, layered strokes.

Fruit bat eating a fig

A fruit bat hangs from a vine and holds a round fig up to its mouth, with a full moon and puffy clouds behind it and a second smaller bat dangling in the distance. Below, a cluster of figs includes one sliced open to show its seeded center.

Sleepy bat wrapped in its wings

A round-faced bat sleeps upside down from a thick branch, its wings wrapped tightly around its body like a cocoon. A cratered full moon and three stars hang in the sky, while a leafy vine trails down the right side.

Cute fruit bat hanging upside down

A round, fuzzy-faced bat hangs upside down from a single tree branch, gripping it with two clawed feet. Its wings fold neatly at its sides, and a plain full moon and four stars fill the night sky around it.

Bat echolocating a moth

An open-mouthed bat flies through the night sending sound waves toward a moth, while a second bat hangs sleeping from a branch above. A full moon, scattered stars and a distant church steeple fill the background, with autumn leaves scattered along the ground.

Hanging in the Cave

Bat colony in a stalactite cave

A dozen bats of different sizes hang from jagged cave ceilings dripping with stalactites, one large bat perched forward in the center with its wings spread. Below, stalagmites rim an underground lake reflecting a full moon and scattered stars, with ripples spreading around small rocks in the water.

Three bats flying from a cave entrance

Three bats with outstretched wings swoop out from beneath a rocky overhang hung with trailing ivy, while a full moon and stars shine above the tree line. Ferns and tumbled boulders fill the foreground below the cave mouth.

Two bats hanging in a rock crevice

Two fruit bats hang head-down one above the other inside a narrow rock crevice, their fox-like faces turned toward the viewer. Water drips down the stone walls beside them, and a crescent moon with stars shines above while a leafy plant grows from the rocks.

Two bats hanging in a spooky attic

Two fuzzy bats hang from a wooden roof beam in a cluttered attic, peering down over a round window showing a crescent moon and stars. Cobwebs stretch across the corners, and below sit a wooden crate and a riveted steel trunk with a buckle latch.

Bat hanging in a clock tower belfry

A fruit bat hangs from a wooden louver in a stone belfry window, with a large clock face and a rooftop cross beside it. Beyond the tower, a full moon, bare branches and a distant village with a steeple fill the background.

Night Flight

Bat flying low over treetops

A large fruit bat with outstretched wings swoops down over a rolling forest canopy at night, a full moon and two small distant bats overhead. Leafy branches frame the bottom corners, and fluffy clouds drift beside the moon.

Three bats flying over a starry pine forest

Three bats of different sizes glide through a starlit sky above a row of pointed pine trees, with a crescent moon, fluffy clouds and scattered stars filling the background. The largest bat in front has a fuzzy chest and wide outstretched wings, while a small silhouette bat flaps near the top corner.

Bat skimming a lily pond

A bat swoops low over a moonlit pond, its wide wingtips just brushing the rippling water beside lily pads. A heron stands still among cattails on the far bank, with a weeping willow and full moon completing the scene.

Bat diving toward a moth over a farm

A big-eared bat swoops down with wings spread wide toward a spotted moth fluttering above a wheat field. A barn, fence and full moon with scattered stars fill the background scene.

Bats over a moonlit town rooftop

Two bats swoop above tiled rooftops toward a glowing streetlamp circled by four moths, with a church spire, chimneys and a full moon rounding out the night skyline. The large brick chimney in the foreground offers a nice spot for a patterned texture.

Hunting and Food

Bat hunting insects over a farm field

An open-mouthed bat glides low with fanged jaws bared, echolocation waves rippling toward a barn as moths, beetles and mosquitoes scatter around it. Tall wheat stalks and wildflowers fill the foreground, with a full moon and drifting clouds overhead.

Smiling bat with a spotted moth

A cheerful, wide-eyed bat flies with wings spread beside a large six-spotted moth below a cratered full moon. Three stars and rounded bushes fill out this simple, bold-lined night scene.

Two fruit bats in a mango tree

Two fruit bats hang from a heavy-laden mango tree branch at night, one nibbling a dripping mango while a second dozes upside down nearby. Fallen mangoes lie in the grass below, and a full moon with three stars fills the sky.

Long-nosed bat feeding on cactus flower

A long-tongued bat hovers in flight with its tongue extended into a large saguaro cactus blossom, while a spotted moth flutters nearby under a full moon and scattered stars. Ribbed cactus arms with several more blooms fill the right side of the scene.

Bat hunting mosquitoes over a pond

An open-mouthed bat swoops through a swarm of mosquitoes above a pond, where a spotted frog perches on a rock beside cattails. A wooden dock, a weeping willow and a full moon with stars fill out the shoreline scene.

Bat Family

Mother bat with clinging pup

A large bat hangs by its feet from a leafy branch while its small pup clings to its chest with tiny claws, both wings partly spread. A full moon with craters and three stars fill the night sky behind them.

Young bat takes its first flight

One bat hangs asleep from a branch while a second swoops away from a hollow tree, wings spread wide over ferns and fallen leaves. A full moon, five stars and a dark knot-hole in the trunk fill out the night scene.

Three bats huddled together on a branch

Three fuzzy bats hang side by side from a single thick branch, wings folded close and eyes half-shut in sleep. A full moon, drifting clouds and a spider web in the corner fill out the night sky above a distant tree line.

Bat mother with peeking pup

A large fruit bat hangs from a branch with wings wrapped around a smaller pup peeking out from below her chest. A full moon and three stars fill the night sky, and both faces show big round eyes and a wrinkled snout.

Bats at a garden bat house

A bat flies through a moonlit garden past a wooden bat box mounted on a tree, where two bats peek out and a third hangs upside down on the trunk below. A tiled-roof house, a picket fence, a garden bench and a watering can fill the yard below.

Seasons and Places

Bat flying through a mushroom forest

A bat glides between tall tree trunks with wings spread wide, drifting leaves and a full moon filling the sky above. Below, a cluster of three toadstool mushrooms grows beside a leaf-strewn forest path winding into the distance.

Bat in snowy tree hollow

A bat hangs upside down inside a hollow in a thick, snow-capped tree trunk, framed by pine sprigs growing from the bark. A full moon glows in the falling snow beside bare branches, evergreen trees and a large pinecone resting in the snowdrifts below.

Bat over a spring garden fence

A cheerful bat swoops above a picket fence between a blossoming cherry branch and a birdhouse on a post, with a full moon and stars overhead. Below, a moth flutters near crocus flowers where two snails creep through the grass.

Bat colony in a hay barn

Nine bats hang from the rafters of a wooden barn while three more swoop over stacked hay bales, a ladder and a pitchfork, with a full moon shining through the open barn door. The rustic interior is packed with detail: a wooden barrel, a wheelbarrow of hay and a fence visible outside.

Bats circling a seaside lighthouse

Two bats flutter around a tall lighthouse on a rocky shore, with moths, stars and a full moon filling the night sky. Below, a sailboat crosses the waves while a snail, a scallop shell and a cluster of barnacles cover the rocks.

Bat hanging under a full moon

A large-eyed bat dangles from a leafy branch with its wings folded, silhouetted against a giant cratered full moon. Three stars twinkle nearby, and a row of pine trees and bushes lines the ground below.

Nectar bat feeding on a saguaro flower

A long-tongued bat feeds on a blooming saguaro cactus flower while a second bat roosts upside down on a tall saguaro nearby, a full moon and scattered stars above. Below, a spiny desert lizard suns itself on a rock in front of a mesa and yucca plants.

Patterns and Mandalas

Bat mandala

A large bat face sits at the center of a circular mandala framed by petal shapes, surrounded by four smaller flying bats, four moths and crescent moons and stars, with a leafy border ring on the outside.

Patterned bat with mosaic wings

A fluffy-faced bat spreads its wings wide beneath a cratered full moon and scattered stars. Each wing panel is filled with a different pattern, including spirals, scales, chevrons, waves and crescent moons.

Big-eyed bat with patterned wings

A wide-eyed bat hangs from a leafy branch with its large wings spread flat, each panel filled with its own pattern of moths, snail shells, figs, stars and tiny flying bats.

Bats at a Glance

A Flying Mammal Built Like a Hand

A bat’s wing is not feathered like a bird’s, and it is not a simple flap of skin either. It is a hand. Four long, thin finger bones stretch out to hold the wing membrane open, with a short thumb tipped by a small claw at the leading edge. That membrane runs all the way down to the legs and usually stretches between the hind legs too, forming a tail membrane, thin enough to show the fine network of veins underneath. Because the fingers do the work that feathers do for a bird, bats can flap, climb, turn sharply, and even hover in place, something gliding animals like flying squirrels can never manage. Scientists group bats in the order Chiroptera, a name that simply means hand wing, and it is a large group: more than 1,400 described species, or roughly a fifth of every known kind of mammal on Earth.

Seeing With Sound

Most bats find their way and find their food using echolocation. The bat sends out a burst of high pitched calls, then listens for how long the echo takes to come back and how it sounds. From that information alone, a bat can build a detailed picture of what is around it, precise enough to snatch a single flying mosquito out of total darkness. The old saying blind as a bat is simply wrong. Every bat species has working eyes, and the large fruit eating bats, often called flying foxes, actually see quite well.

Food, Homes, and Family

Most bats hunt insects such as mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and crane flies, making them useful neighbors for anyone who dislikes bug bites. The bigger flying foxes eat fruit, flowers, and nectar instead, and in doing so they pollinate plants and spread seeds around the forest. Only three species, all found in Central and South America, feed on blood, and even they mostly take small amounts from sleeping cattle and birds rather than people. Bats live on every continent except Antarctica, resting during the day in caves, hollow trees, rock crevices, under bridges, in attics, and in old bell towers, while flying foxes often just hang out in the open in treetops. Unlike birds, bats have fur on their bodies and bare skin on their wings, and they give birth to live young that nurse on their mother rather than hatching from eggs. A newborn bat spends its first weeks clinging tightly to its mother’s fur. Most bats are shades of brown, grayish brown, reddish brown, or near black, and some flying foxes have a golden or rust colored patch of fur around the neck. The wing skin itself is usually grayish brown to almost black, though it can look pale pink and almost see through on young bats or on species with especially thin wing skin, so a soft pink wing in a coloring page is not a mistake at all.

Getting the Best Prints

These pages print well on ordinary printer paper, and that is all you really need for a quick coloring session. If a page is going into a card, a frame, or a garland, switch to a heavier cardstock so it holds up to folding, taping, and handling. When you print, choose the best or high quality setting rather than draft mode so the fine lines around the wings and ears stay crisp, and set the paper size to A4 with the page set to fit or scale to fit rather than actual size, especially if your printer is loaded with a different sheet size. For the youngest colorers, start with the simplest sheets in the Bat Portraits and Bat Family sets, since these use bold, wide outlines that are easy to stay inside. School age kids tend to enjoy the Night Flight and Hunting and Food scenes, which have more going on without becoming fiddly. The most detailed sheets, including the Patterns and Mandala designs, are best saved for older kids, teens, and adults who want a page that takes real time to fill in.

What to Do With Finished Pages

A finished bat coloring page does not have to go straight into a drawer. Cut out a few completed bats, punch a hole in the top of each, and string them along a ribbon for a simple Halloween garland to hang across a doorway or mantel. Fold a favorite sheet in half, or glue it onto a blank card, to make a handmade birthday or Halloween card for a friend. A stack of colored pages also makes an easy classroom bulletin board display for a nocturnal animals or Halloween unit, since the variety of poses fills a wall quickly. Finally, thread a single colored bat onto a length of string or thin dowel to make a small hanging mobile for a bedroom window, or trim one down into a bookmark for a bat lover’s favorite book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these bat coloring pages free to print?

Yes. All 36 pages in this collection are free to download and print for personal or classroom use. Just click any picture in the gallery to open its PDF.

What age group are they best for?

The set is built to cover a wide range. Toddlers and preschoolers do well with the simplest, boldest outlines, older kids can handle the scenes with more detail, and teens or adults will likely enjoy the intricate patterned and mandala style pages the most.

Which colors are correct for a bat?

You will not go wrong with browns, grayish browns, reddish browns, or near black for the fur, since that covers most real bat species. Ears and the nose are usually a shade lighter than the rest of the fur. For the wings, grayish brown to almost black is typical, but a light pink or translucent looking tint is also accurate, since young bats and some thin skinned species really do have wings that pale and see through.

Can I use these pages in my classroom?

Yes. Teachers are welcome to print these for classroom use, whether for a nocturnal animals lesson, a life science unit on mammals, or a Halloween activity. Because the pages range from very easy to detailed, they work well across a mixed age classroom or as an early finisher activity.

Why do bats hang upside down in the pictures?

It is not just an artistic choice, it is how bats actually rest. A bat’s legs and toes are built for hanging rather than standing, and special tendons let the toes hold a tight grip on a surface without using any muscle effort at all, so a sleeping bat will not fall even while fully relaxed. Hanging upside down also makes takeoff easy, since a bat can simply drop and start flying rather than running to build up speed the way a bird does.

What if my printer does not have A4 paper loaded?

That is fine. The pages are designed on an A4 template, but printing with your printer’s fit to page or scale to fit setting will adjust the image to any standard paper you have loaded, including US letter size, without cutting off any part of the artwork.

Matthew Matthysen( Drawing and Painting Artist )

Matthew Matthysen is an educated multidisciplinary artist and illustrator. He successfully completed his art degree at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, majoring in art history and contemporary drawing. The focus of his thesis was to explore the philosophical implications of the macro and micro-universe on the human experience. Matthew uses diverse media, such as written and hands-on components, to explore various approaches that are on the border between philosophy and science.

Matthew organized various exhibitions before and during his years as a student and is still passionate about doing so today. He currently works as a freelance artist and writer in various fields. He also has a permanent position at a renowned online gallery (ArtGazette) where he produces various works on commission. As a freelance artist, he creates several series and successfully sells them to galleries and collectors. He loves to use his work and skills in various fields of interest.

Matthew has been creating drawing and painting tutorials since the relaunch in 2020. Through his involvement with artincontext.org, he has been able to deepen his knowledge of various painting mediums. For example, watercolor techniques, calligraphy and lately digital drawing, which is becoming more and more popular.

Learn more about Matthew Matthysen and the Art in Context Team.