By Josie June 12th, 2023
By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters – Mexican free-tailed bats exiting Bracken Bat CaveUploaded by Dolovis, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31315037
It’s located just outside of San Antonio, Texas - at times, there can be over 15 million bats roosting there
Each year, they embark on an extraordinary journey, flying thousands of miles between their wintering grounds in Mexico and their summer roost in Bracken Cave.
Bats can use echolocation to locate objects and prey, emitting high-pitched sounds that bounce back to them as echoes.
The Mexican Free-Tailed Bat forms the majority of the world's biggest bat colony.
They have a wingspan of 11-13 inches and weigh half an ounce.
Mexican free-tailed bats are insectivorous creatures, relying primarily on a diet consisting of various flying insects.
Females establish maternity colonies and gather to give birth and raise their young
They form strong bonds and display complex social structures.
- Big Brown Bat - Eastern Red Bat - Brazilian Free-tailed Bat - Evening Bat
Other Bat Species Found in the World's Biggest Bat Colony:
Bats face various threats, from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change to disease outbreaks.
Additionally, the use of pesticides that reduce the availability of insects, a primary food source for many bat species.