Frio Bat Flight Tour Overview

Witness this Awesome site as 10 to 12 Million Mexican free-tailed Bats Ascend into the Evening Sky before sunset at Frio Cave near Concan Texas.. The Official Correct Name is Brazilian free-tailed Bats. In Texas we prefer to call them Mexican free- tailed Bats which is a Subspecies. This is the second largest bat population in the world, but is the largest bat population in the world open to the public!

Comparisons of Deaths in the U.S. to Bat Rabies:
Bat Transmitted Rabies (1980-2000): 1.2 people per year
Accidents Involving Deer: 200 people per year
Lightning Strikes: about 90 people per year
Dog attacks: 15-25 people per year
Toppling Vending Machines: 2.2 people per year
(So, more people are killed from toppling vending machines than bat rabies)
Still Please Don't Pick Up or Touch Any Bats!

Fees - $12.00 per person & under 5 years old are free.
Bat Tours are $120.00 Minimum - on Dates Not Already Scheduled
Click here to see the Schedule Page.
We will promote your reserved tour & if others join your tour the minimum fee is split between the group; if 10 or more people on tour ~ normal fee of $12.00 per person
Frio Bat Flight tours are mid March thru September. When it the weather gets cool or there aren’t as many bugs, the bats migrate to Mexico for the Winter. They return before Spring & tours usually begin mid March.
For an Awesome Once in a Life Time Experience you will want to come to the Frio Bat Flight Tour. Meet your Guide at the Ranch Gate; 1st Gate south of Frio River on FM 2690, drive your car 2 miles on ranch in to where the Frio Cave is. Park & take a short easy walk to the top of the hill to witness one of Nature’s Most Incredible Spectacles. This is the 2nd largest Bat population in the World; But, the Largest Bat Population that’s open to the public. You will be in awe as the Bats make their ascent into the evening sky at Sunset. Also at the Bat Viewing Area you will see Cave Swallow, Rock & Canyon Wren, & maybe a Ringed-tail cat or Skunk entering the cave to catch dinner. Be amazed as several species of Raptor dive into the exiting swirl of Bats. This is a maternity cave where the bats return each spring to mate & give birth to their pups. Unfortunately the Bats fly south for the winter & are only here from mid March thru September. The Frio Bat Cave has a history – the Bat Guano was mined during the Civil War for Confederate black powder. The rocked furnace pipe used in drying the Guano still sits at the cave entrance.

ECHOLOCATION and how it works Bats send out sound waves using their mouth or nose. When the sound hits an object an echo comes back. The bat can identify an object by the sound of the echo. They can even tell the size, shape and texture of a tiny insect from its echo. Most bats use echolocation to navigate in the dark and find food. But, bats are not blind. ( Echolocation graphic & info courtesy of www.bats4kids.org )

Great Experience for Elementary, High School & College Groups. Learn interesting facts about these bats & the insects they eat, learn why they choose to come to Texas?
Watch in Awe as Birds of Prey Catch the Bats in the Air; We have seen Zoned-tailed, Red-tailed, Red-shoulder, Kestrel, Swainson's & Harris' Hawks  plus Merlin & Peregrine Falcons after the Bats.
Bats are Mammals & this is a Maternity Cave; these Bats Migrate to Mexico for the Winter & come back here each Spring to Mate & give Live Birth to their Pups in June
Guide Bain Walker holds a Free-tailed Bat; Melissa & girls from Houston come see the bats often
Animal Planet TV crew filming Bain Walker talking with Ms Adventure star Rachel Renstra as the Bats Make their Return into the Cave in the Morning
Guide Lee Haile tells tourists all about Bats; Rachel posses with Guides Bain Walker & LeAnn Sharp. July 2006 Animal Planet filmed a segment called "Cliques" for the TV Show Ms Adventure which aired on Feb.2, 2007. You can catch the re-runs on the Animal Planet Channel.
Other Bat Viewing Locations in Texas: Devil's Sinkhole (near Rocksprings, TX) - http://www.devilssinkhole.org/ Other Bat Info Links: www.bats4kids.org www.southnottsbatgroup.org.uk