Let’s review what we learned in this unit.

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Which of these are mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates?

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Check your answers!

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Discuss. Bats can fly just like birds. What makes bats different from birds?

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Here are a few new bat sounds. Press play to listen. Can you find the one that matches the Mexican Free-Tailed Bat from Bracken Cave?

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The sound of Bat Type B is the sound from a Mexican Free-Tailed Bat.

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Some people build birdhouses to give birds a place to rest. Some people build bat houses to give bats a place to rest!

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Discuss. Look at the openings on each type of house. Where are the openings on each type of house? Why do you think the openings are in such different places?

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Bracken Cave is an amazing place.

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This is what the area around Bracken Cave looks like. People are not allowed to live nearby. This keeps the bats and other living things safe.

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Bracken Cave isn’t the only place where Mexican free-tailed bats live, though. Let’s visit another place they live. It is very, very different.

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These Mexican free-tailed bats live in a place that is very different from Bracken Cave. Watch and listen, then discuss. What do you hear and see? Where do you think these bats live?

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Here is a longer video. This is a very different place from Bracken Cave!

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The bats in that video live under this bridge in Austin, Texas. It is called the Congress Avenue Bridge.

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Let’s look under the bridge and try to find where the bats live.

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This is under Congress Avenue Bridge. Look up at the bottom of the bridge. Can you spot any places for the bats to hide?

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The bats climb up into these tiny gaps under the bridge. The gaps are just like little caves. When the bats get hungry, they fly out and find bugs to eat!

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Watch in the red box. You can see bats climb out of the gaps in the bridge. Then they fly away.

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Each of these places is very different. The places where things live are called habitats. Each of these habitats is very different.

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The bats don’t spend their whole lives inside the cave or under the bridge. But we’re going to study those two parts of their habitats: the inside of Bracken Cave, and under Congress Avenue Bridge.

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Let’s explore each habitat. We will study each place. We will also keep track of the living things we find. There are more living things than just bats!

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Step
01/21

Get a Bat Habitats worksheet. Write your name at the top.

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Step
02/21

Look at this picture of Bracken Cave. How would you describe this habitat? Come up with a few ideas, then write two of them down on your worksheet.

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03/21

You described Bracken Cave. Now, let’s look for living things in the cave.

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04/21

We know that Mexican free-tailed bats live in Bracken Cave. Discuss. What type of living thing are the bats?

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05/21

Circle Mammals on your worksheet. You will figure out the rest of the living things on your own.

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06/21

We know that the floor of the cave is covered in poo. But there are small animals that live down there!

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07/21

Discuss. What type of animals are these?

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Step
08/21

Guano beetles are one type of living thing on the floor of the cave. Guano is another word for bat poo. Guano beetles eat guano!

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Step
09/21

Circle which type of living thing guano beetles are on your worksheet.

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10/21

Those are all of the types of living things in Bracken Cave. Draw a line through all types of living things that we did not find. For example, if you didn’t find birds, draw a line through that.

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Now let’s explore Congress Avenue Bridge. How would you describe this habitat? Come up with a few ideas, then write two of them down on your worksheet.

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Now, we will search for living things under the bridge. They can be on the ground, in the water, or climbing on the bridge.

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13/21

Look from here. What types of living things do you see under the bridge? Circle them on your worksheet.

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14/21

This bold jumping spider was found climbing on the bridge. What type of living thing is it? Circle it on your worksheet.

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Here are two grackles hanging out under the bridge. What type of living thing are they? Circle it on your worksheet.

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16/21

This is a red-eared slider. They swim in the water under the bridge. They also come on shore to rest. What type of living thing are they? Circle it on your worksheet.

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17/21

And finally, there are over a million Mexican Free-Tailed Bats that live in the gaps under the bridge. What type of living thing are they? Circle it on your worksheet.

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Step
18/21

Think-Pair-Share. Which habitat has more types of living things? Which has fewer types of living things? Why do you think that is?

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19/21

Think-Pair-Share. The floor of Bracken Cave is completely covered in bat guano. Why is there almost no bat guano under Congress Avenue Bridge?

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20/21

Think-Pair-Share. Why do you think there are no plants inside of Bracken Cave?

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Step
21/21

Answer the final questions on your worksheet. There are many different possible answers!

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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Other

Austin skyline and bridge by Joseph Sohm

Bat guano by LifeLoveLiberty

Bat house by Krzysztof Winnik

Bat house by LaidBackMattsPhotography

Bats From Under Bridge #2 - Hd by bmaglaya

Birdhouse by FOXARTBOX

Birdhouse by gacksarayu

Bridge audio by Shaan Hurley

Bridge audio by Lars Plougmann

Bridge side by kelvin

City Street Traffic Loop by FxProSound

Congress Avenue Bridge Side by f11photo

Male Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) in flight by Steve Byland

Plants under the bridge by Kokoulina

Row of flying bats colony with sunset sky background by Photoongraphy

Texas Hill Country by Ryan Conine

Under Congress Avenue Bridge by PhotoFires

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/blue-bird-male-himalayan-bluetail-tarsiger-133272170 by Panu Ruangjan

Where else do bats live?

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Where else do bats live?

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