[2011]
[2011]
Karst cave
Natural Bridge Caverns, 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road, San Antonio, TX 78266, Tel. +1-210-651-6101, E-mail:
| Location: | I 35 from San Antonio NE, exit 175, between San Antonio and New Braunfels. From Garden Ridge follow Bat Cave Road. |
| Open: |
Weekends during SEP and early OCT, after appointment only. [2011] |
| Fee: |
Adults USD 23.50. [2011] |
| Classification: |
Karst cave
|
| Light: | electric |
| Dimension: | |
| Guided tours: | |
| Photography: | |
| Accessibility: | |
| Bibliography: | |
| Address: |
Bracken Bat Cave, Bat Conservation International, Tel: 210-651-6109.
Natural Bridge Caverns, 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road, San Antonio, TX 78266, Tel. +1-210-651-6101, E-mail: |
| Last update: | $Date: 2011/12/13 09:11:26 $ |
Bracken Bat Cave is located west of Natural Bridge Caverns. As the name suggests, it is the home to an enormous amount of Mexican free-tail bats. Form August, around the International Bat Night, until early autumn, the cave is opened for numerous public viewings. It is not possible to enter the cave, but there is a platform in front of the cave where visitors can see the flight of the bats.
The bats normally leave the cave at nightfall to feed on insects. During the night they eat the equivalent of their own body weight, the complete colony consumes some 200 tons of insects every night. In 2011, because of a drought there are fewer insects in the air, the bats are forced to spend more time hunting, As a result they leave one hour eariler during sunset. This fact is good for the public viewings, as the bats are better visible for the visitors. Unfortunately it is also dangerous for the bats, as they are hunted during this hour by Cooper's hawks and red tail hawks.
The bats stay at Bracken Bat Cave for the summer and use it as a nursery, during winter they move to Mexico. The cave is visited by the bats for some 5,000 years now, and their guano has produced a 20m thick layer on the cave floor. During the Civil War the nitrogene rich guano was mined to make gun powder. The cave entrance was guarded by Texas solders, who lived in barracks nearby, which are still standing. Today the guano is still mined every second year using a sort of vacuum cleaner, and is sold as a natural fertilizer. This is done during winter, when no bats live in the cave.
| Main Index | U.S.A. | Texas |
| Last updated Terms of Use, © Jochen Duckeck. |
Custom Search
|
 |
Maps Alphabetical Index |
|
Contact showcaves.com: |
|
General Information |