The first rabies carriers were probably bats.
Source: Plotkin SA. Rabies. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30:4-12.

Bats pose the biggest rabies risk to humans.
Source: Plotkin SA. Rabies. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30:4-12.

Bat rabies has been reported in 49 states; rabies has not been reported in Hawaii.
Source: Plotkin SA. Rabies. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30:4-12.

Bats have small teeth and are able to bite without leaving a noticeable mark. In fact, there are cases where bats have bitten people who were sleeping without waking them.
Source: Plotkin SA. Rabies. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30:4-12.

Vampire bats in Latin America are known to be rabies carriers but are not the only bats that are; many types of bats in North America also carry the virus.
Source: Plotkin SA. Rabies. Clin Infect Dis. 2000;30:4-12.

Bats should never be handled by people who are untrained and unvaccinated.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Human rabies prevention—United States, 1999: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999;48(RR-1):1-21.