Determining Foraging and Roosting Areas for Underwood’s Mastiff Bat (Eumops underwoodi) Using Radiotelemetry, At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
Tibbitts T, Pate A, Barns B. 2002. Determining Foraging and Roosting Areas for Underwood’s Mastiff Bat (Eumops underwoodi) Using Radiotelemetry, At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
Underwood’s mastiff bat (Eumops underwoodi) is a large, little-understood tropical species, reaching its northern distribution limit in extreme southern Arizona. One of the few locales where it occurs is Quitobaquito Pond in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Quitobaquito is located on the U.S. - Mexico border next to a busy highway, and is subject to various threats. Further, the border area nearby is undergoing changes due to increasing human population, tourism, increasing industrialization, and changes in land uses. Quitobaquito and the border area are clearly of importance to this bat for foraging, roosting, and accessing water in an arid landscape. To expand our knowledge of this bat’s life history and to identify potential management issues, we sought to determine foraging and roosting areas using radiotelemetry. E. underwoodi were found to forage widely across and along the international border area. Foraging habitat ranged from rugged wilderness topography to agricultural and semi-urban areas. Unexpectedly, they were found to be roosting in woodpecker cavities in saguaro cactus (Carnegia gigantea). This is the first documentation of this species roosting in cactus cavities, and a rare documentation of any bat species doing so.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Tibbitts, Tim; Pate, Ami; Barns, Brian
- Date of Issue
- 2002-12
- Units
- ORPI