AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In the words of the beloved and viral video, "it's frickin' bats!" And in Central Texas, they aren't just a Halloween-time sighting; they're a significant part of the ecosystem, locally and statewide.

In fact, Texas as a whole is distinctive for its bat populations, compared to the rest of the country.

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas is the "battiest state in the country," home to 32 of the 47 species of bats found in the United States.

Austin's bats are quite famous, too. The largest urban bat colony in the world -- estimated at 1.5 million bats -- lives in the heart of Austin, in the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. According to TPWD, the maternity colony of Mexican free-tailed bats began roosting in the bridge in the 1980s after the

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