u/austinbatrefuge

▲ 160 r/batty

Seminole bat

“Seminole bats have molasses-colored fur with frosty tips, caramel-colored ear muffs, and cinnamon-colored tails. These sweet bats are found across the southeastern United States, often roosting alone, and most frequently in the branches of loblolly pine trees where their coloring, compact shape; and furry tail can mimic a pinecone so convincingly that they nearly disappear. These agile insect hunters emerge in the early evening, flying at tree-top level over water and clearings, using vision and echolocation to find moths, flying beetles, and other small insects. They usually catch their prey in midair, but sometimes pluck insects directly from leaves. Females typically give birth to three or four pups, which often start learning to fly at just three to four weeks of age.”

HAPPY BAT MONTH! 🦇🎉

During #batappreciationmonth , Austin Bat Refuge @austinbatrefuge & artist Juliet Whitsett @juliet_whitsett_art are teaming up to celebrate all 9 of Austin’s native bat species!

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

Species information and video generously provided by: AustinBatRefuge.org

🌙 SEE THE BAT ART IN PERSON at the @reallysmallmuseum_atx !

The Night Shift: Austin’s Native Bats
ON VIEW OCTOBER 14–NOVEMBER 30, 2026 at the @reallysmallmuseum_atx

📍 Austin Nature & Science Center
2389 Stratford Drive, Austin, TX 78746

The Really Small Museum project is supported in part by an Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment.

u/austinbatrefuge — 11 days ago
▲ 68 r/batty

Happy Bat Month!

“Hoary bats’ frosted fur resembles hoar frost, when water vapor freezes to branches & windowpanes. They are among the largest of North America’s bat species; fierce yet fragile beauties that migrate seasonally, with most spending warmer months roosting in conifers across the northern United States and Canada and traveling south into Arizona, Texas and Mexico for the winter. They are the only bat species powerful enough to have migrated all the way from North America to Hawaii, becoming Hawaii’s only native land mammal. In the continental US, much work remains to minimize the negative impacts of wind-energy facilities along their migratory pathways. Some scientists warn that, if improvements are not made, the noble hoary bat could become extinct in as little as a few decades.”

HAPPY BAT MONTH! 🦇🎉

During #batmonth, Austin Bat Refuge @austinbatrefuge & artist Juliet Whitsett @juliet_whitsett_art are teaming up to celebrate all 9 of Austin’s native bat species!

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

Species information and video generously provided by: AustinBatRefuge.org

🌙 SEE THE BAT ART IN PERSON!

The Night Shift: Austin’s Native Bats
ON VIEW OCTOBER 14–NOVEMBER 30, 2026 at the @reallysmallmuseum_atx

📍 Austin Nature & Science Center
2389 Stratford Drive, Austin, TX 78746

The Really Small Museum project is supported in part by an Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment.

u/austinbatrefuge — 13 days ago
▲ 273 r/batty

RSM PRESENTS: “The Night Shift: Austin’s Native Bats”

October is #BatMonth, but Austin is known worldwide as “Bat City”… so EVERY month is bat month around here! 🦇

RSM PRESENTS: “The Night Shift: Austin’s Native Bats”

A COLLAB: @austinbatrefuge & @juliet_whitsett_art

🦇 ON VIEW OCTOBER 14–NOVEMBER 30
📍 Austin Nature & Science Center
2389 Stratford Drive, Austin, TX 78746

⚠️ PLEASE NOTE: Austin Nature & Science Center will be closed September 28–October 13. The exhibition opens October 14!

MEET & GREET WITH AUSTIN BAT REFUGE
📅 November 8
⏰ 12–2 PM

Congress Avenue Bridge is widely regarded as a shining example of peaceful coexistence with wildlife in an urban center. Austin’s bats are deeply embedded in our culture; indeed, some say they give us our sense of place.

This series celebrates all nine of Austin’s native bats and the important work Austin Bat Refuge does to protect and care for them (artwork by Juliet Whitsett):

🦇 Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) – Named for hoar frost, when fog freezes on windowpanes.

🦇 Evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) – Little bats with great big personalities.

🦇 Cave myotis (Myotis velifer) – Beautiful bats with charm and charisma galore.

🦇 Seminole bats (Lasiurus seminolus) – Hang in loblolly pines, mimicking pinecones.

🦇 Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) – The stars of the show at Congress Avenue Bridge.

🦇 Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) – Wild spirits of the woods.

🦇 Northern yellow bats (Dasypterus intermedius) – Large and lightning-fast palm tree dwellers.

🦇 Southern yellow bats (Dasypterus ega) – Delicate, charming residents of palm trees.

🦇 Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) – The famed “Chicken Nuggets” of Texas cave tours.

Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight. Since their hands are their wings, when they fly, they are waving at us! Be Austin-friendly and wave back! 👋🦇

Founded by Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie in 2015, Austin Bat Refuge promotes respect for these important members of our ecosystem through education, conflict-resolution, rehabilitation, and release.

📸 by @charles_heppner

u/austinbatrefuge — 16 days ago
▲ 471 r/batty

Silver & Dagger

Interns Clare & Natalia send Silver & Dagger off on their adventure of a lifetime!

u/austinbatrefuge — 2 months ago
▲ 288 r/batty

Evening Bat Pups

Here’s the backstory behind last night’s release at Swift River Pecans.

u/austinbatrefuge — 2 months ago
▲ 192 r/u_austinbatrefuge+1 crossposts

Evening Bat Release!

Twelve evening bats, raised from neonates, found a wonderful new home last night. Thanks Swift River Pecans! And a big thanks to interns Natalia, Clare, & Phoenix!

u/austinbatrefuge — 2 months ago
▲ 329 r/u_austinbatrefuge+1 crossposts

Sibyl

Freetail pups have been flying for about a week now. If you see them in a strange place, please be kind and call us.

u/austinbatrefuge — 2 months ago
▲ 298 r/u_austinbatrefuge+1 crossposts

Jazzmin

Against all odds, Jazzmin is back in the wild.
You’ll even hear a feeding buzz at the end of her release!

u/austinbatrefuge — 3 months ago
▲ 193 r/u_austinbatrefuge+1 crossposts

Pippi

Thanks for rescuing this young bat, Federica & Gianluca! She had recently been weaned and was weak with hunger.
Help us help bats like her. Link in comments

u/austinbatrefuge — 3 months ago
▲ 77 r/batty

Long weekend

Bats trapped in buildings need hydration, not just to be put outside. Call us. We’ll fix ‘em up, if possible, and release them at night. Thanks Camryn!

u/austinbatrefuge — 3 months ago
▲ 414 r/u_austinbatrefuge+1 crossposts

Keiko & Momo

Keiko & Momo aren’t siblings, but they’re growing up together.
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#easternredbats #austinbats #urbanforest

u/austinbatrefuge — 3 months ago
▲ 830 r/batty

Bruno

Support pups like Bruno by donating to our Pup Raiser Fundraiser! Link in comments

u/austinbatrefuge — 3 months ago
▲ 405 r/u_austinbatrefuge+1 crossposts

Shadow & pups

Theo & Mary May saved this bat family, but you too can save bats by giving to our Pup Raiser Fundraiser (Link in comments) $5k matched by @HEH #HEBHelpingHere

u/austinbatrefuge — 3 months ago
▲ 702 r/batty

Bruno

Help us raise little pups like Bruno, a southern yellow from down at the southern tip of TX. Still time to have your donations doubled thanks to HEB’s generous $5 match! Link in comments

u/austinbatrefuge — 4 months ago
▲ 968 r/batty

Pup Raiser Fundraiser 2026

We’ve been quiet. We know.
Baby bat season hit fast and hit hard, and our tiny team has been heads-down caring for this year’s pups since they started arriving. We don’t have a comms person - just a lot of heart and not enough hours in the day.
So: hi. We missed you. And we need your help.
Our annual Pup Raiser Fundraiser is underway (June 15 – August 15), and we’re raising $35,000 to help support round-the-clock care for this season’s orphaned bats. H-E-B is matching the first $5,000 raised. You know what to do! 🦇💛 @HEB. Link in comments

u/austinbatrefuge — 4 months ago
▲ 1.3k r/batty

Walnut

We’ve been too busy to post lately, but yes, it’s bat baby season y’all.
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(Oh and it’s actually milk replacement formula for orphaned coyotes)

u/austinbatrefuge — 4 months ago
▲ 2.9k r/batty

Ria

These bats were lucky. Birds attack & kill lots of red bats during baby season.

u/austinbatrefuge — 5 months ago
▲ 369 r/batty

BART

Everyone was swimming at Barton Creek today. Including this little red bat. Thanks for saving him, Emma!

u/austinbatrefuge — 5 months ago