A new study claims that the creatures are the "death metal singers" of the animal kingdom and have a superior vocal range to that of the 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' hitmaker.

According to the research, published in the journal PLOS Biology, bats can have a vocal range of up to seven octaves - double the range of a normal human being.

The study's lead author, Professor Coen Elemans of the University of Southern Denmark, said: "Most mammals have a range of three to four (octaves) and humans about three.

"Some human singers can reach a range of four to five, but they are only very few."

Elemans added: "Well-known examples are Mariah Carey, Axl Rose, and Prince. It turns out bats surpass this range by using different structures in their larynx."

According to the expert, death metal singers use the same technique as bats do to create sound.

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