One small variety of bat is aptly named the microbat. Microbats make a diet out of insects. They hunt both flying insects and ones that crawl with echolocation. They are masterful flyers and use that ability to catch the small creatures. They use their wings and their tails to collect these insects and eat what they have gathered by transferring the food to their mouths while they fly. They are very fast and typically one of these bats can gather and feast on 600 mosquitoes in just one hour.
The vampire bat lives up to its name by making very small incisions in the skin of its prey. The bite is entirely painless as they lick up the blood of their victims, which can even include the unsuspecting human. Usually, however, vampire bats feed on cattle. While they are enjoying their meal, the bats release a chemical in their saliva that prevents the prey's blood from coagulating. This system ensures the bat can continue eating the blood until it has completed its meal.
Fruit bats prefer more passive prey. Bats that eat fruit collect the food using their mouths. They fly to a place where they can enjoy their large repast. They are capable of bringing quite a lot of fruit with them. Some fruit bats living in tropical areas can carry up to three times their body weight in food.
The reason different bats have different diets is determined by their physical characteristics, most specifically the shape of their heads. Fruit bats typically have broad and short faces. This shape makes the biting of round fruits practical. Bats that feast on nectar inside flowers have longer and narrow mouths that make access to the nectar feasible.