Bat Watching is a Thing in Texas With Austin Being the Best Place to Do it

(Austin, Texas) - Texas is known for a lot of things -- Whataburger, great outdoors, football, bats...wait! What?! Yes. Texas is home to 32 species of the flying mammal, the most in the entire country. San Antonio itself is home to the largest bat colony in the entire world.

The thing about bats is that they get a bad rap. They don't turn into a blood sucking monster. They aren't dirty, minus the occasional one found with rabies. They're actually very cute and harmless to us.

Bat Facts You Need to Know

Without bats, we would not be able to enjoy bananas, avocados, or mangoes because of the bat's help in the fruit's pollination (doi.gov). No, they do not land on your shoulder and bite down on your neck to drink your blood. A bat's baby is called a pup.

Our great state of Texas is home to 32 different species of bats. Most of those bats live in the San Antonio area with about 15 million living in Bracken Cave, which is just outside of San Antonio, Texas. Austin has a large bat population, too. Even Houston has a couple of bat stops to check out.

READ MORE: I'm Sorry Dog Lovers, But There is a Limit to How Many You Can Own in Texas

Get our free mobile app

Bat Watching Spots in Texas on Google Maps

Google Maps

If you really want to get interactive with the map, just go to this link at google.com.

Bats have even made their home in East Texas, just not 15 million of them. Buildings in Tyler, Longview and other cities could be home to small colonies of bats. Their best quality for hanging around is that they eat a ton of mosquitoes. Maybe not enough to stop the constant biting but it certainly helps.

If you want to know more about the great bat watching our state has to offer, check out tpwd.texas.gov. Oh, and enjoy this video of bats that makes them look like they're hanging out in a goth club.

READ MORE: 6 Deadly Animals You Will Find in Texas