Gossip
Best spot to watch Austin's daylight bat flight?
Chapter 1
The architectural accident
Chapter 2
The August explosion
Chapter 3
The Mexican free-tailed bat's journey
Chapter 4
From pests to protectors
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why Austin's bridge bats take flight in August
Ch 2 · The August explosion
BETA
sonia Play the August Bat Boom game and discover why Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge bats take flight in massive numbers during August.
Fun Fact
Bat babies: A newborn Mexican free-tailed bat pup weighs about one-third of its mother's weight, which is equivalent to a human giving birth to a 40-pound baby.
Glossary
pup (noun)
A young offspring of certain mammals, such as a dog, seal, or bat. In August, newly flying bat pups under Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge double the colony's active population.
A young offspring of certain mammals, such as a dog, seal, or bat. In August, newly flying bat pups under Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge double the colony's active population.
Quiz
During which month does the Austin bridge bat colony reach its peak population and activity?
Quiz
What physical change in the pups causes the colony's visible flight activity to explode in August?
Quiz
How many pups does a female Mexican free-tailed bat typically give birth to each year?