Enchanting Stories of New Mexico - Surprising facts about Carlsbad Caverns

Enchanting Stories of New Mexico - Surprising facts about Carlsbad Caverns

From The Fresh Chile Company Podcast by Michael Swickard, Ph.D.

November 8, 2025 · 15 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the unique wildlife of New Mexico, focusing on the bats of Carlsbad Caverns and their significance to tourism.

The official New Mexico mammal like six other states is the black bear with a population of six thousand bears. We even had Smokey Bear, a three-month-old cub found after a fire near Capitan. But I would like a different state mammal, one that brings in lots of money. I’d like bats as the state mammal. One place has 400k bats which 400k tourists come to see yearly. Let's talk about Carlsbad Cavern bats. Love this Podcast? Check out our website at The Fresh Chile Company. Also, check us out on...

People in this episode

Host: Michael Swickard, Ph.D.

Topics covered

  • New Mexico
  • Carlsbad Caverns
  • bats
  • black bear
  • tourism
  • wildlife

Keywords

  • New Mexico
  • Carlsbad Caverns
  • bats
  • black bear
  • Smokey Bear
  • tourism
  • wildlife

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Fresh Chile Company

Places: New Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns, Capitan

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