Dianne Odegard from Bat Conservation International [http://www.batcon.org] shows a Mexican free-tailed bat to the February Lost Pines Master Naturalist chapter meeting, Feb 20, 2017 in Bastrop, TX Dianne gave an excellent presentation on bats, the variety of species, their importance in ecosystems, and dispelled some common misconceptions about bats and human diseases. At the end of her presentation, she pulled out a bat so we could see how tiny they are up close. The Mexican free-tailed bat is the species that roosts under the Congress bridge in downtown Austin, and this is the largest urban population of bats in the world. I have seen the bats emerge from the bridge several times, but didn't realize how tiny they are with their wings folded up! These bats do not hibernate, instead they migrate south for winter, just like many birds do.
