Bats tend to get off on the wrong wing with us humans. So in honor of National Bat Week, we're clearing up some myths about the world's only flying mammal.

For starters, bats are not nefarious creatures, as they're often portrayed around Halloween, said Rob Mies, executive director of the Michigan-based Organization for Bat Conservation. (Read more about efforts to better bats' reputations.)

They're actually altruistic, Mies said, and have been known to share food with other bats. Vampire bats, for instance, will regurgitate blood for bats who didn't get to feed.

National Geographic caught up with Mies at the Orlando Science Center's Bats: Myths and Mysteries exhibit—which was supported by his organization—to debunk some of the most