A Closer Look At...

Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Trivia

• State Flying Mammal of Texas (Named by the Legislature in 1995)
• Can fly up to 60 miles per hour with a tail wind and up to an altitude over 10,000 feet in the air
• Eat tons of pests such as moths, flying ants, weevils, stink-bugs and ground beetles making them very important to Texas farmers and rangers
• Found throughout Texas with 100 million spending the summer in the Hill Country

State Parks to Visit

Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area, Stuart Bat Cave at Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Clarity Tunnel at Caprock Canyons State Park and Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area are all excellent places to view a dusk bat emergence during the summer and into early fall. Be sure to call ahead for hours of their tours.