How many types of bat in the world?

There are about 1200 different species of bat in the world divided into two groups. The smallest group are known as the fruit bats or megabats and number about 170 species. This group includes the largest bats in the world with wingspans up to 5 feet. As their name suggests they mainly eat fruit or nectar from flowers. Fruit bats are only found in tropical places across Africa, Asia and Australia. There are no fruit bats in the Americas. The remaining 800+ species belong to a group called the micro bats. Microbats are found all over the world except for the poles and have a wide range of diets but the majority of them eat insects. A few species feed on nectar, some catch fish and there are three species in Central and South America that drink blood (the vampire bats). All British bats are micro bats and eat only insects.