The Real “Bat Cave”
By Karl Galloway
Bats make up 25 percent of the world’s mammals, and their ancestral homes are found all over the United States, including right here in NC, in the largest augen gneiss granite fissure cave in the world. If you’re not a geologist you probably don’t know what that is, but suffice to say, it’s a shiny granite rock, gneiss probably being derived from the Middle High German noun gneist, which means “spark.”
Over a mile long and 85 feet high, the fissure sits on the side of Bluerock Mountain along the Rutherfordton-Henderson County line, in the steep hills and valleys that characterize the area. Between March and early October the cavern houses thousands of fuzzy fliers, giving it the moniker “Bat Cave.”
During the hot days of summer a cool current of air constantly flow from the entrance of the cave and from a fissure in the rock formation on the outside. With a constant temperature, this is part of the reason that so many species of bats make this their summer home. Of the 17 species that occur in North Carolina, three are federally endangered and one is federally threatened. Among the Bat Cave residents is the rare Indiana Bat, one of the first bat species in the United States to be recognized as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Act.
People are not allowed to visit the cave, as even a small increase in temperature can affect the cave’s ecosystem, and increase the likelihood of White Nose Syndrome (WNS). WNS is a fungal disease that infects the noses, ears, and wings of bats, and is responsible for broad regional extinctions.
While you can’t visit the cave you can, however, spot them on the wing. This time of year, bats are beginning their migrations, moving south for winter. It’s a great time to take a socially-distanced drive along Highway 9 near Old Fort, and to stop at one of the overlooks along the way. If you find yourself in the Chimney Rock or Lake Lure area, you may catch large cauldrons (yes, really) of bats taking flight.
And if you’re a fan of “Batman,” you can still send a letter to the the local post office and receive the coveted “Bat Cave” postmark.
