Deep east Texas and under drought conditions with temps being above 100 every day lately. I have always seen one to maybe 5 at most small dark colored bats flying over and around my 2 acre pond right before dark. Yesterday for the very first time in about 8 years of having the pond, I found a dead bat on the ground in a wide open walkway leading down to the pond. it was only about 50 foot from the waters edge. Had not been dead to long as only a few ants had just started to crawl on it and it "looked" healthy. I did not touch it for fear of rabies or something? Any ideas what would have caused this? Should I be concerned or does extreme heat maybe have an affect on bats?? Just wondering. Has anyone else ever found dead bats?

My son was driving on the highway yesterday afternoon and saw a bat in full sunlight.

I assume the bats are in desperate need of drinking water. I see them take in-flight sips from our creek when I am down there in the evenings.

Perhaps the bat's normal drinking supply has evaporated and he met with a mishap trying your ponds as a new water source?

Sometimes they just die of old age. Growing up I found; dead bats, bats too heavy with babies on their back to fly, and the occasional live bat that just didn't seem to have the energy to fly.

Rabies or maybe even white nose syndrome could be it too. I think it's been found as far south as TX.

Sometimes when you see weird things like that, you have to wonder if the Gypsies are back in town....