Usually, you’ll hear a bat before you see it – the gentle flutter of wings, their high-pitched chatter as they dive and roll for insects. Only occasionally do you spot them, a blur against the evening sky.

With nearly 1,500 known species, bats are among the most successful mammals on earth. From the tiny bumblebee bat – which could rest comfortably on your index finger – to the giant golden-crowned flying fox with its 1.5-metre wingspan, they are evolutionary marvels, adapted to practically every environment. The only mammal that can fly, they can reach speeds of up to 100 mph, leaving cheetahs in the dust.

Yossi Yovel, an ecologist and neurobiologist, is passionate about deciphering their secrets. In The Genius Bat, he brings to life these amazing creatures as well as the obsessive and sometimes eccentric people who study them. From muddy rainforests to star-covered deserts, from guest houses in Thailand to museum drawers full of fossils in New York, this is an eye-opening account of a remarkable animal.