For Immediate Release: April 18, 2006

Governor Signs Legislation Selecting Bat as State’s Flying Mammal

The Governor has signed legislation naming the Mexican free-tailed bat as the official state flying mammal of Oklahoma.

The bat – unusual for its long, skinny tail and unique migratory pattern – has become a major tourist attraction for the Selman Bat Cave Wildlife Management Area located in Freedom, Oklahoma, just west of Alabaster Caverns State Park.

Senator Owen Laughlin, author of Senate Bill 1678 recognizing the Mexican free-tailed bat as the state’s official flying mammal, said the legislation was authored to promote tourism.

“The Selman Bat Cave Wildlife Management Area is a special tourist attraction,” said Laughlin, R-Woodward. “Each summer, tourists from all over the country visit the caves to observe the bats as they come to give birth and exit the cave for feeding at night. It really is a rare sight.”

Approximately one million bats migrate to the caves, which serve as a maternity colony, each year. Only female bats and their offspring migrate to the caves, making it an opportunity to observe particularly unusual behavioral patterns. At sundown, thousands of bats will ascend from the caves, many with their offspring hanging from their bodies, in a massive spiraling cloud to feed on insects.

“This mammal is good for Oklahoma in that it brings tourist dollars to our state, provides a learning experience for observers, and helps cut down on the mosquito population,” Laughlin said. “The bats will eat nearly 40 percent of their own body weight in mosquitos each night, which is great for area landowners. I encourage all Oklahomans to make plans to visit Alabaster Caverns State Park and take a tour of the Selman Bat Cave.”

For more information on the Bat Caves and Alabaster Caverns State Park, visit www.touroklahoma.com, or call the park office at (580) 621-3381. Tours of the Selman Bat Cave are offered each weekend in July and August. Registration for the 2006 season begins May 26. To add your name to the mailing list, call (405) 424-0099.

For more information, contact:
Senator Laughlin's Office: (405) 521-5626