For my birthday I chose to go to a bat lecture out at Colossal Cave Mountain Park. My friend came along too. We all got to handle different species of bats (all were dead and stuffed). Their sizes and looks vary so much!

I learned about the different climates bats live in. The Hoary Bat lives mainly in the colder regions, and the Pallid Bat lives in the warmer desert areas. Also, these two bats’ colors are very different—the Hoary Bat has hair that is brown with frosted tips and the Pallid Bat is blonde.

The professor said that one of the best places to see bats is under the Broadway and Pantano bridge, which is near my house. Maybe we’ll check it out sometime…

After learning about bats, We bought a bag of gems mixed with dirt, called a sluice bag, and went outside to some running water to sift it. While we were out there “prospecting”, the professor came out and asked who the birthday girl was (mommy had told him that I chose to come see him for my birthday), wished me a happy birthday, and gave me the pendant of a bat that he had been wearing!