As part of our plan for homeschooling over the summer, we recently visited the University of Florida Bat House in Gainesville, Florida to witness 60,000+ bats emerge into the evening sky. The bats were beautiful, flying almost like butterflies and not much larger. The event occurs every warm evening just after sunset. At first, just a few bats emerged but large masses soon poured out like a volcano spewing ash. In ten minutes, the show was over as the bats dispersed around Gainesville to feed.

Located in a serene field near a student garden coop. and across from peaceful Lake Alice, the bat house is ideally suited for the small creatures. According to the literature at the site, most of the bats are Brazilian Free-Tail bats sharing the space with a small group of Southeastern bats.

If you are planning to visit Florida, be sure to plan an evening in Gainesville to view these beautiful creatures.

Previous Bat posts:

• Summer Studies: Bats
• Bat Conservation International