The Waugh Bridge Bat Colony

How neat is that? Houston plays host to its own urban bat colony! I had discovered it upon moving back to Houston's inner loop, after 4 years in New York. Exiting Waugh from Memorial Drive, I noticed a sign for the Waugh Bridge Bat Colony. I got home and googled it and found out the colony of 250,000-300,000 insect-eating Mexican free-tailed bats took up residence under the bridge in 1993. Unlike most other Texas bat colonies that migrate to warmer climates in winter, these little critters stay here year round. Though it's said they don't come out if the temperature goes below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

I will be writing more on this topic in upcoming posts, but meanwhile you can read more at the following sites:

The Waugh Bat Monitor

Buffalo Bayou Partnership

Houston Parks and Recreation

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hey little bat!

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