Dr. Dirt - Batty for Bats

Question: Does Lea County, New Mexico have Bats active in our night sky?

Answer: Yes, several species of Bats fly in Lea County. There are actually 25 species found throughout the New Mexico.

Types of Bats: Mexican free-tail, Eastern red, Brown, Leaf-nosed, Vesper, Hoary, Mouse-eared to name a few, but there are more.

Bat Facts:

·       Carlsbad Caverns National Park caves hosts 17 species of bats, Free-tails most common.

·       Brown bats can capture 500 to 600 mosquitos per hour.

·       Bats can live up to 40-years in age.

·       1300 different bat species reside around the world, 42 species America, 25 New Mexico.

·       Bats are great pollinators for certain plants and eradicators of farm insect pests.

1.     Bats are the only ‘true-flying’ mammal –they are NOT birds, fur covered and warm blooded.

2.     They are communal dwellers, living in large colonies in caves, canyon walls, tree tops, under large man-made structures such as bridges/overpasses and even in structures-buildings.

3.     Baby bats are known as pups, and usually one pup is born in June by live birth. They feed off of their mother’s rich milk supply. Pups, from the Mexican Free-tail bats grow quickly on this rich milk and are ready to fly in 4 to 5 weeks from birth.

4.     Some bats create a ‘maternity’ colony. ALL MOMS! NO MALES to deal with, the boys create a ‘bachelor’ colony away from the maternity colony. The small Mexican free-tail bats can have up to 500 pups per square foot –now that is a lot of baby bats, yet each mom can find her own pup by sense of smell and knowing the sound the pup’s call. WOW that’s is an amazing feat. Especially, when you have 1,000’s of baby bats hanging in the maternity colonies.

5.     By August/September, ALL pups are flying and foraging for insects and water on their own. This the time to visit Carlsbad Caverns or numerous bat-flight caverns and other sites in Texas to witness spectacular emerging masses of bats that have doubled in size with the baby bats flying with the adults. This is a short-lived event as the cooler weather of October signals to the bats to begin their annual migrations to Mexico for their over-wintering ranges.

Film Series

January Family Fun Day

Free Family Fun Day Showcases Nocturnal Animals ‘In The Dark’

The Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame presents a free Family Fun Day, Saturday, January 27, from 10:00am until 3:00pm.  The event is in conjunction with its new exhibition, “In the Dark”, an interactive exhibit about the ecosystems of the night, below the ground, inside caverns, and deep in the sea. 

Dr. Ivana Mali, professor, wildlife biologist, and director of the Gennaro Natural History Exhibit at ENMU, will be the featured speaker at 11:00am and 1:00pm.  She is a herpetologist whose work includes nocturnal animals such as toads and frogs. She will talk about the life of night-time creatures and their environment, and bring both living animals and specimens (not living). Her degrees include a masters in wildlife ecology, and a doctorate in aquatic resources, both from Texas State University.

“Dr. Mali is a highly respected expert in wildlife environments, especially as it relates to small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians,” said Mary Lyle, director of education at the museum. “She is an excellent source for understanding creatures of the night and the environment in which they live.”

A native of Serbia, Dr. Mali arrived in the United States on an athletic scholarship, knowing she wanted to be a wildlife biologist. “In wildlife biology, you cannot learn everything in the classroom. You have to go outside and get dirty. Showing my students how to trap and handle animals, and how to conduct fieldwork with a purpose, I find most rewarding.”

Other activities for Family Fun Day includes arts and crafts for the children and exhibit tours of “In The Dark”. At 2:00pm, the movie “The Goonies” will be the featured film, the 1985 adventure comedy about a band of kids who find a treasure map.  All activities, exhibitions and the movie are free.