Bracken Cave is the largest known habitat for Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Mexican Free-tailed Bat

The Mexican free-tailed bat , also known as the Brazilian free-tailed bat, is a medium-sized bat that is native to the Americas and is widely regarded as one of the most abundant mammals in North America...

s. It is located in southern Comal County, Texas

Comal County, Texas

Comal County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 108,472. Its seat is New Braunfels.Comal County is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History Timeline:...

, outside the city of San Antonio. Bracken Cave houses a colony of over 20 million bats, making it the largest known concentration of mammals, except for humans. Access to the cave is restricted to protect the habitat of the resident bats.

The cave is owned by Bat Conservation International

Bat Conservation International

Bat Conservation International is an international non-governmental organization working to conserve the world’s bats and their habitats through conservation, education and research efforts....

, which restores the land around the cave to support an abundant variety of wildlife.

Media attention

Despite its protected nature, Bracken Cave has been featured in the media several times since its discovery.

External links

• Bracken Bat Cave at Bat Conservation International