Sebastiano

Sebastiano was found alone clinging to a rock in Sedona, Arizona. The hiker who found him brought him to us as a tiny, neonate pup. Sebastiano had a tough start at life but he was a fighter and held on despite difficult circumstances. Sebastiano is one of the smartest pups we've ever encountered. When we feed pups, we have to keep the formula at a specific temprature. In order to make sure we do this, we have a small glass container full of formula and we stir it with a thermometer to read the temprature. Sebastiano quickly learned to associate the sound of the thermometer clinking against the glass with food and would poke his little head out of his pouch in the incubator when he heard it. He continued to be a clever (and demanding) bat throughout his time with us. Sebastiano was released back to the wild when he was a fully grown adult. We miss him but we're so happy he's out there living his best life.

About Mexican free-tailed bats

Mexican free-tailed bats are the most prevelant bats in Arizona. They roost in tens of thousands here but other roosts around the world are up to tens of millions of individuals. They are incredibly agile fliers and they can fly up to 100 mph during horizontal flight. That makes them the fastest mammal on the planet! Mexican free-tailed bats have one pup a year and  keep their pups together in large maternity colonies. When the mother is out hunting for the night, the young cluster together for warmth and safety. When the mother returns, she is able to find her pup among hundreds or thousands of young. They are insectivores and important pest control for corn and other crops. 

In general, Mexican free-tailed bats do well in captivity and get along with each other and other species. They are gentle and trusting but they are also incredibly stubborn when they want to be. They have squeaks, clicks, chitters, and "grumbles" that humans can hear. When they want to be fed faster or no longer want to be handled, they have a special click they use to let us know. This click basically tells us to do the opposite of whatever we are currently doing.  They definitely keep us in line.