Resurvey for bats (Chiroptera) at Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado/Utah, 2008-2009, final report

Bogan, Michael; Mollhagen, Tony

This report describes the results of a resurvey of bats in Dinosaur National Monument during 2008 and 2009. The basic premise was to re-visit localities where bats had been captured between 1982 and 1990 and again use mist nets to assess the general distribution and abundance of bats on the monument and determine if there were any obvious trends in species occurrences, numbers, or distributions on the park. Bats are subjects of conservation concern due to habitat destruction, use of insecticides, low reproduction rates, and vulnerability due to colonial roosting habits. Western bats in particular also may be affected by various land management practices such as grazing, logging, lowering of water tables, and destruction of reservoirs. In addition to such concerns, ongoing changes in the area surrounding parks, monuments, and refuges may conceivably impact bats or the resources upon which they depend. Between 1982 and 1990, biologists associated with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) conducted inventories for mammals, including bats, in Dinosaur National Monument (DINO). These studies by FWS were the first systematic attempts to survey for bats throughout the monument. In 2008, park managers asked for a resurvey of the resident bat fauna. The basic premise was to re-visit localities where bats had been captured between 1982 and 1990 and again use mist nets to assess the general distribution and abundance of bats on the monument and determine if there were any obvious trends in species occurrences, numbers, or distributions on the park.

Resurvey for bats (Chiroptera) at Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado/Utah, 2008-2009, final report

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