Here in Austin, it also brings a flurry of tourists every year to witness the flight of the worlds largest urban bat colony from underneath the famous Congress Avenue bridge before they migrate south for the Winter. And with the largest non-urban bat colony being only 50 miles away in San Antonio's Bracken Cave, Central Texans have grown to have a special connection with these nocturnal neighbors, even celebrating them at Austin's annual Bat Fest.

We've recently launched our Free-tailed Bat temporary tattoo in appreciation of these wonderful creatures, and want to share some of the things we love most about them, as well as giving love to our own Austin Bat Refuge, an organization serving our local bat population here in Texas.

Bats tend to get a bad reputation and are often seen as dark and dangerous. However these cuties play a vital role in our ecosystems, providing pest-control by munching on thousands of insects nightly, and pollinating hundreds of species of fruit that we rely on, like avocados, mangos, and agave. There's also a common misconception that bats cary diseases, particularly rabies. In reality, the incidence of rabies in wild animals here in the US is less than 1%, and though you should use caution if you've been exposed to a bat, there's really no need to fear contracting it.