Mexican Free-tailed bats gather around the McNeil Street bridge along I-35 in Round Rock on Saturday, July 13. (Photos by Andy Sharp)
Georgetown resident Nancy Marsac, front, joined others to spot Mexican Free-tailed bats around the McNeil Street bridge on Saturday, July 13. A group came out to observe the bats from a nearby vacant lot. Members of the Texas Master Naturalists, Good Water Chapter, were on hand to discuss the bats.
Mexican Free-tailed bats fly above the McNeil Street bridge along I-35 in Round Rock on Saturday, July 13.
Texas Master Naturalist Christie Gardner joins others on the lookout for Mexican Free-tailed bats gathering around the McNeil Street bridge along Interstate 35 in Round Rock on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
A Mexican Free-tailed bat is highlighted by a nearby street light as it flies under the McNeil Street bridge along Interstate 35 in Round Rock on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Texas is home to between 32-36 species of bats, giving the Lone Star State the most species out of any other state in the U.S.The Texas Department of Transportation has specifically built 40 Texas bridges for both cars and bats — including the Interstate 35 McNeil Bridge in Round Rock — because of the important role bats play in Texas’ ecology and economy. Information a...