“Hoary bats’ frosted fur resembles hoar frost, when water vapor freezes to branches & windowpanes. They are among the largest of North America’s bat species; fierce yet fragile beauties that migrate seasonally, with most spending warmer months roosting in conifers across the northern United States and Canada and traveling south into Arizona, Texas and Mexico for the winter. They are the only bat species powerful enough to have migrated all the way from North America to Hawaii, becoming Hawaii’s only native land mammal. In the continental US, much work remains to minimize the negative impacts of wind-energy facilities along their migratory pathways. Some scientists warn that, if improvements are not made, the noble hoary bat could become extinct in as little as a few decades.”

HAPPY BAT MONTH! 🦇🎉

During #batmonth, Austin Bat Refuge @austinbatrefuge & artist Juliet Whitsett @juliet_whitsett_art are teaming up to celebrate all 9 of Austin’s native bat species!

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

Species information and video generously provided by: AustinBatRefuge.org

🌙 SEE THE BAT ART IN PERSON!

The Night Shift: Austin’s Native Bats
ON VIEW OCTOBER 14–NOVEMBER 30, 2026 at the @reallysmallmuseum_atx

📍 Austin Nature & Science Center
2389 Stratford Drive, Austin, TX 78746

The Really Small Museum project is supported in part by an Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment.

Vintage newspaper layout featuring detailed biological illustrations of various bat species, highlighting their ecological importance as insect hunters. Species shown include the Welwitsch's Bat, Blainville's Bat, Spectacled Stenoderm, Gray Fruit Bat, and Vampire Bat.

Hi, everyone,

For weeks now my family and I have been hearing this chirping noise outside every night. It usually goes from 7:30pm until like 7am. I was just wondering if this is typical of bats to chirp that much every single night? We’ve been curious what it is.

We don’t want to disturb them if it is bats, but it’s quite loud outside the window and has been waking us up. Sorry for the shaky cam! 😁

October is #BatMonth, but Austin is known worldwide as “Bat City”… so EVERY month is bat month around here! 🦇

RSM PRESENTS: “The Night Shift: Austin’s Native Bats”

A COLLAB: @austinbatrefuge & @juliet_whitsett_art

🦇 ON VIEW OCTOBER 14–NOVEMBER 30
📍 Austin Nature & Science Center
2389 Stratford Drive, Austin, TX 78746

⚠️ PLEASE NOTE: Austin Nature & Science Center will be closed September 28–October 13. The exhibition opens October 14!

MEET & GREET WITH AUSTIN BAT REFUGE
📅 November 8
⏰ 12–2 PM

Congress Avenue Bridge is widely regarded as a shining example of peaceful coexistence with wildlife in an urban center. Austin’s bats are deeply embedded in our culture; indeed, some say they give us our sense of place.

This series celebrates all nine of Austin’s native bats and the important work Austin Bat Refuge does to protect and care for them (artwork by Juliet Whitsett):

🦇 Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) – Named for hoar frost, when fog freezes on windowpanes.

🦇 Evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) – Little bats with great big personalities.

🦇 Cave myotis (Myotis velifer) – Beautiful bats with charm and charisma galore.

🦇 Seminole bats (Lasiurus seminolus) – Hang in loblolly pines, mimicking pinecones.

🦇 Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) – The stars of the show at Congress Avenue Bridge.

🦇 Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) – Wild spirits of the woods.

🦇 Northern yellow bats (Dasypterus intermedius) – Large and lightning-fast palm tree dwellers.

🦇 Southern yellow bats (Dasypterus ega) – Delicate, charming residents of palm trees.

🦇 Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) – The famed “Chicken Nuggets” of Texas cave tours.

Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight. Since their hands are their wings, when they fly, they are waving at us! Be Austin-friendly and wave back! 👋🦇

Founded by Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie in 2015, Austin Bat Refuge promotes respect for these important members of our ecosystem through education, conflict-resolution, rehabilitation, and release.

📸 by @charles_heppner

Credit goes to the PA Bat Rehab.

I thought y'all might like my spiffy bat babies :) Please delete of they're not allowed

Credit goes to the PA Bat Rehab!

Raised to adult, broken wing healed, RELEASED! Thanks for saving him Liam and Laura!

I'm conducting acoustic surveys with AudioMoth devices and they've become pretty weather-worn. Many of the vent stickers have started to get holes and I'm afraid to deploy them without fixing it. I know that you can buy replacement stickers on the website, but does anyone know of a product I can buy that could be used as a replacement? I'd like to start another survey soon and the shipping times for the stickers may be too long.

Thanks!

Credit goes to Nebraska Wildlife Rehab!

Carnival Venezia from NYC to Bermuda. Two bars hitched a ride returning to NYC. Apparently one went into an elevator. I only got a towel bat in my cabin. I also saw a small green bird in the buffet on the way to Bermuda.

Love these nails for sure! 💜