On a clear September night along the San Marcos River in central Texas, a handful of people in headlamps gathered around a small, noisy creature: an evening bat.

Melissa Donnelly, a science specialist with the nonprofit Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation , delicately measured its wing. She caught the chattering bat over the river in a supersized tennis net.

"This is very typical of the species," Donnelly said, as she held the bat that's no bigger than a clementine. "They've got a lot to say all the time."

Michael Minasi / KUT News / KUT News

The tiny brown bat is one of millions who fill the Texas skies each night, and collectively eat tons of insects. They're essential for farms – including where the researchers are working: Swift River Pecans .

The orchard's owner, Troy

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