Maryland Zoo Redux #9 - The Bat Cave

The Maryland Zoo has a Bat House that is built like a cave just past its newly installed Bobcat exhibit and after the North American River Otter habitat.  I know I have gone into it before, but I think before it was in ill repair or something.  It's totally not very prominent, but today it seemed completely new to me.  It's the closest thing to a Herpetarium that the zoo has, and it's both beautiful and creepy.  So many kids were crying inside--and the design is totally like going into a cave.  In the large middle "room" of the space there are both two giant sculptures of bats and a faux mastodon skeleton.  Some kids found this an opportunity for exploration and fun, others screamed in terror!  I like the concept, but the resulting chaos is not conducive to either animals or visitors.  I did see the bats, but I couldn't possibly photograph them in the dim light and frenetic movements. 

Eastern Copperheads with a reflection on the glass that looks like a rear opening to the outside world.

Mud puppies cuddled between a rock and a hard glass!

Faux Mastodon bones.

Giant bats hanging from the ceiling--what were they thinking?

The home to a pair of Timber Rattle Snakes and one of the pairs recently molted skins.