Fun fact: once a year a 100‘ x 100‘ cave in Mason Texas becomes one of the most populated bat caves (bat nursery), holding anywhere from 2 million to 7 million. In the spring, pregnant bats come to this cave for some reason (they don’t know why) and hang out here until they give birth. Once they do, they spend the next couple of months rearing their young, eventually taking them on flights, and 1-2 months after giving birth the babies are now the same size as their mom, and they all go back to whichever cave they originally came from.
There is also Bracken Cave, which I believe is different from the one you are referring to (but I could be wrong) in San Antonio, TX. Same thing, up to 20 millions bats make it home for roosting and raising their young. I’m going there this September to watch them emerge for their nightly hunting!!!
Yup, that one’s even bigger! I need to go see that one. Here’s the Mason bar cave info. https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/eckert-james-river-bat-cave-preserve/
Thank you for posting these bat fact. I get a lot of bat enjoyment out of them.
Thank you! It’s nice to know that people enjoy them as I enjoy researching and making them for you all!
Is that for a different species of bats?
The pregnancy can’t be that variable within a single species right?
That’s cool. Bats are cool.
Thanks
Yes, these numbers are for different species. There is quite a lot of variation in bats, from tiny insect-eating bats to large fruit-eating ones.
with it taking that long for something the size of my fist those things better be coming out as full grown adults
Well, now I’m subscribed to Bat Facts. (Thanks!)
Sky puppies!
DCA into bats, got it. 📈
