this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2024
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Bats

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Bats are cool

Bats are the only true flying mammals. There are over 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found on nearly every part of the planet. Not only are they cute, they are also important...

Studying how bats use echolocation has helped scientists develop navigational aids for the blind. Without bats’ pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control we wouldn’t have bananas, avocados, mangoes, agave, or cacao… that’s right, bats bring us tequila and chocolate!

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Our community's mascot is Baxter. Baxter is an Egyptian fruit bat that was cruelly kept alone and confined to a small cage for 12 years before being rescued by a bat sanctuary. You can read the full story by clicking on his name.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

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!!!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

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/