Bat-nap

We got a bat in the hall.

No, not the kind Babe Ruth used - the kind that fly around and eat mosquitos and people freak out about. But we ain't freakin'. We're Austinites.

For anyone who doesn't live in Austin, this isn't terribly shocking for a downtown building. Central Texas is home to North America's largest colonies of Mexican freetail bats, and one of them is under the Congress Ave. bridge right here in the heart of Austin. So, occasionally, one of the furry little guys finds his way into a building.

As long as the rodent in question is not on the ground, it's usually nothing to worry about. However he got in, he'll probably get back out, and if he's hanging up high like in a Dracula movie, he's just doin' his bat thang, and he's not going to bother you. It's not like a hornets nest where it's just going to get bigger and bigger and sooner or later, someone gets attacked.

If you see one on the ground, though, it's probably sick, and they DO carry rabies, so DON'T TOUCH IT. Call animal control, and they'll come get it.

In any case, as ubiquitous as bats are in these parts, it's still a novelty to spot on napping near the ceiling in the hallway of your office building. So, all day long, we've been checking on him whenever we go down the hall to the bathroom or to a meeting. He hasn't moved. He's sleepin'.

I'd post a picture here, but I don't have a camera with me, and the quality from my camera phone would just look like a tiny blob. We're on the top floor of our building, so I'm guessing he was in the attic, and he got cold last night (temps dipped below freezing), so he found his way to warmer climes, which happened to be our hallway. I wonder if he'll be there tomorrow.