Despite their scary image, bats are an important part of our ecosystem. Here are more bat facts from an article I wrote for the Denver Post in August 2005. ( Bat photo credit: iStock)

The Congress Avenue Bridge bats may be a top tourist attraction in Austin, Texas, where visitors watch the bats stream out from under the bridge for their nightly insect hunt, but Colorado is home to its own bat colony, too.

The Orient Mine, located in Saguache County, is the summer residence of a large colony of Mexican free-tailed bats, according to Rick Adams, professor of biology at the University of Northern Colorado and founder and president of the Colorado Bat Society.

“What’s unique about this bat colony is that it’s almost all male. It’s a huge bachelor roost,” Adams said. Estimates range from 150,000 to 250,000 bats.

Each summer, hikers navigate the trail to watch the out flight. The Orient Land Trust, a nonprofit preservation organization, protects the area.