Iconic Texas: Meet This Endangered And Adorable Agave Loving Bat

Mexican long-nosed bats are fascinating little critters. And thanks to their unique adaptations, we get to enjoy the fruits of their labor, beautiful wild agave plants.

With powerful forearms that allow them to hover and extremely long tongues, they can retrieve the nectar deep within cacti blooms, getting their fur coated in pollen that they spread from plant to plant.

They can visit up to 100 plants per night. Also, did I mention they are adorable? Just look at this guy:

Mexican long-nosed bats are migratory animals that winter exclusively in the spooky-sounding Cueva del Diablo near Mexico City, but summer here in Texas in the Chisos Mountains inside Big Bend Park.

While they are here, the bulk of their diet consists of agave nectar. While they feast, they spread the pollen that ensures a new generation of beautiful, wild agave plants

Alarmingly, Mexican long-nosed bats are critically endangered, with fewer than 5,000 individuals left in the wild, according to Bat Conservation International.

Between fires and droughts caused by climate change and humans encroaching on their habitat, the future of these bats-and of wild agave plants- is uncertain.

Even though the situation sounds dire, it's not hopeless. Through the efforts of Bat Conservation International, a similar species (Lesser long-nosed bat) went from a population of less than 1000 in 1998 to 200,000 in 2018, an exponential upswing.

With hard work, dedication, and some monetary donations, enough wild agave could be regrown and restored to feed these precious bats.

Bats are a critical pollinator for many Texas plants, including the agave we use for tequila, cotton, peaches, corn, and more. Even if you don't see bats as "flying puppies" like I do, they are worth preservation efforts. In doing so, we help to assure our future, too.