Meet the stars of our lab
Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana
Mexican Free-tailed Bats
BarryHe loves to eat and is always willing to fly if he gets a meal worm at the end.
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IrisShe has lots of personality! Iris clicks to get attention when she wants to eat.
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LaurelOur flying star! She loves to fly and never wants to land.
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Photo credit: PraiseTheAlmightyHelixFossil
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Mexican free-tailed bats are thought to be one of the most abundant mammals in the North America.
If you want to see impressive colonies, watch as they leave their maternity roosts at sunset in summer at these nearby locations: Congress Street Bridge in Austin, TX Waugh Street Bridget in Houston, TX The largest known colony is at Bracken Cave near San Antonio, TX, with ~20 million bats A year in the life of a Mexican-free tailed bat |
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They dark brown to grey in color, typically measuring 9 cm (3.5 in) and weight 12.3 g (0.43 oz).
These bats eat many different types of insects, but their favorites are moths and beetles. |
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Mexican free-tails use echolocation to hunt prey and navigate.
Scientists can record bat echolocation calls with specialized bat detectors and then analyze them on a computer. <<-- See a Mexican free-tail call being analyzed |
References
Wilkins, K.T. 1989. Tadarida brasiliensis. Mammalian Species 89: 1-10. (PDF)