Exploring Nature: Bats

Bats have had some bad publicity lately, what with tales of a deadly virus starting in a Chinese “wet” market, where, among other delectables, bats were served up as food.

But I’m here to tell you these little critters also have a good side. They eat literally tons of pesky insects that damage crops and there are some 300 species of fruits that depend on bats for pollination and seed dispersal. These include avocados, bananas, carob, figs, mangoes and peaches.

Even the poop of bats serves a purpose – guano makes excellent fertilizer.

There are some 33 species of bats in Texas, more than in any other state. Among the most numerous are Mexican free-tailed, cave myotis, big brown, southern yellow and ghost-faced.

What’s more, the world’s largest colony of bats is in the central Texas area. Bracken Cave, located about 20 miles from downtown San Antonio, is home to some 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats.

I’ve visited this cave to see the bats pour out around sunset and it is a sight to behold. They looked like a black tornado spiraling up and away. And there was an opportunistic red-tailed hawk that swooped down and snatched one unlucky bat out of the air. Mother Nature is a cruel lady.

Public visits to the cave have been suspended last I heard, because of the current pandemic.

I have also visited bat colonies at Devil’s Sinkhole, Eckert James River and Old Tunnel State Park. And I’m told some 1.5 million bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin. There is also a roost under the Cypress Creek Bridge just off the square in downtown Wimberley.

Best months for bat viewing are July and August and best time is shortly before dusk.