Bat's Are Our Friends! Learn Why!

Don't be surprised if you spot a bat on your cave tour at Bridal Cave! Bats commonly get a bad wrap for being scary or being pests. However, this could not be further from the truth! Bats play a critical role in our ecosystem. Read on to learn about a few misconceptions/information about bats! 



Bats Fly in Hair 

If you see a bat flying around in the cave it may appear like they are about fly right at you and maybe even land in your hair! Bats don't make nests and are aware that you are there and won't bother you during your tour. As many of you already know, bats hang upside down to roost. When they are ready to take off, they will drop down and flap their wings before flight. While it may appear that they are swooping right towards you, they're not.

All Bats Have Rabies 

There is a common misconception that all bats have rabies. This is simply not true at all. Like all animals, bats can contract rabies but that doesn't mean that all bats have the disease like many think. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 6% of bats that are captured and tested have rabies.

Bats are Pests 

Bats are certainly not pests and actually play a vital role in our ecosystem! Bat actually EAT pests which helps keep our mosquito and insect count down which can help reduce contraction of diseases. In fact, one bat can eat up to 1,000 insects in just one evening! In addition to eating insects, bats also pollinate plants and distribute seeds!


Bats Are Blind 

Bats to do have very small eyes but that doesn't mean they can't see! Large fruit bats found in the southern region actually search for nectar using their sight! Bats that are found in Bridal Cave, such as a little brown bat, use echolocation to find insects. This means that they make a self-produced sound that bounces off objects to help them navigate their way but that doesn't mean that they can't see.

Tour Bridal Cave! 

Guided tours leave every few minutes and last approximately one hour. Tours are conducted over concrete pathways through the Cave’s refreshing 60 degree environment. Park interpreters will lead you and your family through room after room of incredible mineral deposits. Giant columns, delicate soda straws and massive draperies abound throughout the cave. Millions of years of struggle between water and rock have created this cavern with more onyx formations than any other known cave or cavern. In fact thousands of school children each year explore Bridal Cave as part of their educational program. A tour through Bridal Cave is a family adventure you will never forget.

One of America's most scenic 
cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com
Like us on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.
Follow us on Google+
Follow us on LinkedIn

526 Bridal Cave Road
Camdenton, MO 65020
(573) 346-2676

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Explore Thunder Mountain Park

Image
The most scenic cave tour in Missouri is surrounded by the natural beauty of Thunder Mountain Park .  This incredible Lake of the Ozarks attraction  covers hundreds of acres.  It spreads over more than a mile of Lake of the Ozraks shoreline, a mile of highway frontage along Old Missouri Route 5, and all the acreage in between.  That is a lot of nature to be explored! Establishing the park Thunder Mountain Park was established in 1950 in order to protect the caves within it.  The amazing colors and incredible onyx formations inside of Bridal Cave  are all formed by minerals from rain water that seeps into the ground. This is a process called deposition.  Preserving the natural state of the park above the cave prevents any changes to the surface area, which could have a detrimental impact on the deposition process.  Protecting the surface area protects the water quality, which in turn protects the cave.     Aerial view of Thunder Mountain before 1950 A unique, rural attra
Read more

Spend Your Spring Break at the Lake of the Ozarks

Image
It's time for Spring Break! You don't need to travel to some sandy beach to get away from everything. Our scenic Lake of the Ozarks attraction feels lucky to be located in the center of some of the most natural beauty in America. There's no need to travel any further than right here, the Midwest's Coast!  There are buds on the trees and the flowers are beginning to bloom, the fish are biting, and the lake is calling out to us all! Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park are even extending our hours to kick off Spring Break, and we'll be open daily from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm beginning March 11, 2017 . In addition to spending a day or two exploring all of the amazing things to discover at the park, there are plenty of other things to do at the lake to keep you entertained all week long.  St. Patrick's Day Festivities The Lake area loves to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and this year celebrations are happening both the weekend before and the weekend after
Read more

The History of Bridal Cave

Image
Bridal Cave has a very interesting past.  It's story goes back long before the Lake of the Ozarks was created.  As early as 8,000 BC, Native Americans were using caves in the area for shelter, and more than likely Bridal Cave was one of those used.  We will begin this tale with the first organized exploration over 150 years ago of what is now known as one the best attractions at the Lake of the Ozarks . Bridal Cave Visitors Center, 1968 1856   The first organized exploration of portions of Bridal Cave is recorded.  B.D. Dodson is credited with this feat.  The next major exploration is done by S.W. Burke four years later.   1894 Over 5400 acres of land is purchased by Colonel R.G. Scott.  That area is now known as Ha Ha Tonka State Park, and it includes Bridal Cave.  Colonel Scott is very impressed and wants to know how it got the name Bridal Cave, so he begins researching the subject.  He is credited for being the first person to publish the now famous legend of Brida
Read more