Arctic Blast Makes Frozen Mexican Bats Fall From the Sky in Texas

Texas residents are seeing frozen Mexican bats falling from the sky as they attempt to fly during the arctic blast.

During the vicious winter storm that swept across America last weekend, some animals were more severely affected by the freezing temperatures than others. Iguanas fell from trees in Florida, while bats have fallen from bridges in Texas. Both of these species freeze to the point where they are unable to hold onto objects, causing them to fall to the ground.

But most of the bats weren't actually dead.

1,500 Frozen Bats

Last Thursday, the Houston Humane Society saved over 1,500 frozen bats from habitat for bat colonies located under the Waugh Drive Bridge. Over 115 of them perished while attempting to defrost and recover. The remainder were let loose into the wild Wednesday night at dusk from their home camp, just in time to feast under Houston's now-warmer skies on mosquitoes and moths.

According to KHOU, the Houston CBS affiliate, the bats were given fluids during their frozen capture to make sure they all stayed hydrated.

The bats were lifted into the air by members who had gathered at the Waugh Drive Bridge. The bats then flew into the relatively warm evening to eat insects that had also adapted to the season's temperatures. To get them close to the bridge's understructure, the humane society utilized a scissor lift.

Mexican Free-Tailed Bats

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, Mexican free-tailed bats can fly distances reaching 100 miles round trip during the course of one evening. They have long, narrow wings and short fur that are designed for speed; they can fly up to 60 mph when there is a tailwind. While looking for food, they have been seen feeding up to 10,000 feet in the air.

Mary Warwick, the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition Director, said Although the Waugh Bridge in Houston is frequently visited by tourists, they owed it to the bats to put them back in their natural environment so they could feed and rest, just like other bats colonies, such as the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin.

When the bats first leave the colony, according to Warwick, they feed on mosquitoes. As they ascend, they consume a large number of insects and moths that harm crops used for food.

To watch the prequel and hear the remarks from the Houston Humane Society, crowds of people gathered close to the bridge.

The bats consume between 10,000 and 30,000 pounds of insects per night during their flights, including mosquitoes and dangerous agricultural pests, according to Visit Austin.

Read also: Bats Carry Viral Disease that Infects Horses, Fatal to Humans, Possibility of Another Pandemic Discussed 

Arctic Blast

Temperatures fell sharply across the nation last week as Christmas weekend approached, including areas as far south as south Florida and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Over the weekend, Houston temperatures fell into the 20s, which caused the bats to become disoriented and lose their grip on the bridge, Newsweek reports.

Austin Bat Fest

Every year in the middle of August, when bat migration is at its peak, Austin celebrates the flight of its unofficial mascots on the Congress Avenue Bridge. With more than 50 artists and crafters, children's activities, and a bat costume competition, Bat Fest has grown into the largest bat-viewing event of the year, Visit Austin reports.

Related article: It's Raining Iguanas! Christmas Artic Chill Brings Hard Freeze to Florida, Invasive Reptile Expected to Fall with Temperatures