Mexican free-tailed bat

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department © 2002

Name and General Characteristics

• The Mexican free-tailed bat is a medium sized bat. • Genus species- Tadarida brasiliensis• Their fur is reddish to dark brown or gray in color. • Their tails extend more than one third beyond the tail

membranes; most other bats have tails that are completely enclosed within the tail membranes.

• Their wings are long and narrow.• The Mexican free-tailed bat has not been domesticated

for human use.

Energy TransferMexican free-tail bats consume enormous amounts of moths and other insects. About 250 tons every night!

Moth

Mexican free-tail bat

SnakeAnts

Beetles

Ecology• Range: Mexican free-tails are found in the

western United States, south through Mexico, Central America and into northern South America.

• Habitat: Mexican free-tails prefer to roost in caves, but will also choose attics, under bridges, or in abandoned buildings. They choose roosts near water. The water attracts the insects they eat, as well as allowing them the opportunity to drink.

• Predators: Snakes, raccoons, house cats, owls, and other predators sometimes manage to gain access to the roosts. If a baby falls to the cave floor the mother will not come to its rescue giving predators a chance for a quick meal.

Photo courtesy of www.aaanimalcontrol.com

“Masters of the Jam”Evolution

• Bats make calls to jam (block) rivals’ sonar.

• This jam prevents their competitors from acquiring dinner.

• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141106-bats-science-animals-echolocation-prey/ Published in November 2014.

• Sounds: http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/audio/56012036.WAV

Photograph by Joel Sartore with Cole Sartore. National

Geographic Creative.

Fun Facts• The densest concentrations of free-tailed bats are found living in Bracken Cave near San Antonio,

Texas. Their colonies can number over 20 million.• Mexican fee-tailed bats are the "jets" of the bat world. They are very fast flyers flying at 45 mph.• Use sound to see!! “Echolocation” (the process of bouncing sound waves off nearby objects to sense

what's around them.)

Bracken Cave in San Antonio

Copyright © Rolf Nussbaumer Nature Photography

MediaThe Waugh Bridge Bat Colony

• http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/batpage.html

Buffalo Bayou Bat Colony Pontoon Tours• http://downtownhouston.org/guidedetai

l/bat-tours-pontoon-boat/

Waugh Bridge

Resources

• Arnold, C. (2014). Bats Make Calls to Jam Rivals' Sonar—First Time Ever Found. news.nationalgeographic.com

• Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Biological and Ecotoxicological Characteristics of Terrestrial Vertebrate Species Residing in Estuaries: Mexican free-tail bat. https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bioeco/mftbat.htm

• www.desertmuseum.org