Inventory of southeast Idaho bat sites: use of natural roosts and man-made analogs

Call Number:

Keywords:

Abstract:

Serving as a supplement to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Nongame Grant bat roost site project and report completed by Red Willow Research Inc. in 2002, this 2004 State Wildlife Grant (SWG) project sought to identify and evaluate additional roost sites utilized by bat species on public lands within Cassia, Power, Oneida, and Twin Falls counties of southeastern Idaho. Roost site surveys in 2003–2004 and supporting echolocation surveys were carried out in the Albion Mountains, Black Pine Mountains, Cassia Mountains, Cotterel Mountains, Jim Sage Mountains, Middle Mountains, Pleasantview Hills, Rock Creek Park, Salmon Falls Creek Canyon, Shoshone Basin, Snake River Canyon, Snake River Plain, and Sublett Mountains. Over 800 potential roost sites have now been surveyed, with 149 roosts yielding signs of bat occupancy. In addition, more than 200 echolocation surveys were completed within the SWG bat project survey region. Of the 149 active roost sites identified, five appear to exclusively host night roosting, 19 roost sites appear to possess the capacity to host day or night roosting (e.g., bachelor sites, sites for roosting by non-parous females), 67 sites appear to possess sufficient internal features (e.g., thermal regulation, protection) required to support maternity roosting by reproductive females, and 58 sites appear capable of providing enough features (winter thermal regulation, air flow, protection) to support winter hibernation use by one or more species of bats. In addition, late and early season surveys by Red Willow Research Inc. have verified winter bat presence for a number of specific sites suspected to serve as hibernacula and/or for habitat areas suspected to support winter hibernacula use (e.g., Rock Creek Canyon, Snake River Canyon, Salmon Falls Creek Canyon). While field surveys have been largely intended to provide presence/absence data and indicate bat use or distribution for specific geographic or watershed regions for bat conservation and management purposes, our southeastern Idaho survey efforts have also resulted in re-confirmation of known species presence and/or of new sighting locations for TES and Species of Special Concern (e.g., Townsend’s Big-eared Bat, Spotted Bat) and for other sensitive Idaho bat species (e.g., Pallid Bat, Hoary Bat).

Notes:

ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology: Mammals