SURPRISING DIVERSITY BCI’S FIVE-YEAR PLANFOR HOW ADAPTTO OF BATSIN SENEGAL GLOBAL CONSERVATION WILDFIRES & CLIMATE CHANGE

WWW.BATCO N.ORG WINTER 2013

BATSBATSBAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

The Social Sounds of Hoary Bats THE MEMO from our E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR

he city of Honiara overlooks Children in Fiji learn about bats As outlined in this issue of BATS, Iron Bottom Sound in the at the National Museum in Suva. BCI has completed a five-year Strategic South Pacific. In 1942-43, Plan to achieve lasting conservation re- T thirty Japanese and Allied sults at a scale commensurate with the ships were sunk or scuttled in these waters threats bats face. We must find new during the battle for Guadalcanal Island. ways of leveraging our knowledge and Thousands of soldiers on both sides died resources to serve as a better catalyst for in the jungle, most often of disease. global bat conservation, while also in- Today, the Sound and its lost ships lure creasing our own on-the-ground con- reef fish and scuba divers, who come to servation work. Above all, we must the Solomon Islands and points south and dedicate ourselves to preventing further west to explore the stunning beauty and bat extinctions. And BCI will act to diversity of the “Coral Triangle,” a region with more than 500 protect species made vulnerable by restricted ranges, such as the reef-building corals and 3,000-plus species of fish. Florida bonneted bat (see page 18) and Pacific island bats. As Conservation in the Pacific has focused mainly on marine our knowledge of bats’ ranges and locations increases, we will ecosystems. But reefs depend on ridges, and the ridges are rich also identify and protect outstanding areas with high numbers with bats. The Solomons, along with nearby Vanuatu, Fiji and of sometimes less-threatened bat species. Our ultimate goal is Papua New Guinea, form a “Chiroptera Triangle” – a global ensuring the survival of every bat species. hotspot of bat diversity. That’s urgently needed. Fiji’s national , the Mirimiri But the coastal and montane forests of many Pacific Islands flying fox (Mirimiri acrodonta), is an iconic fruit bat with promi- are just about gone, their tropical hardwoods clear-cut by for- nent orange eyes. It appears on Fiji’s ten-cent coins – but almost eign timber companies. As the timber played out, cash-strapped nowhere else: scientists recently spent 40 days searching forests communities and governments turned to leasing land for large- where the Mirimiri lives on Taveuni Island and saw only one. scale agriculture and mining. New roads, often little more than We’re not giving up on the Mirimiri or any of the other bats bulldozed swaths, soon cut through the forests. The soil that that seem down to their last refuges. It’s quite possible that, as washes away from raw roads, logged hillsides and mines finds we accelerate field surveys around the world, new populations its way to the ocean where it can quickly clog and kill a reef. of such species will be discovered. But chances are that new BCI director of global programs, Dr. Dave Waldien, and I threats to those populations will be right behind us. spent two December weeks in the region, beginning in Fiji at We must act more quickly, more efficiently, in more places the 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and and with more partners than ever before. And we need the sup- Protected Areas. More than 850 multinational and national of- port of more donors who love and appreciate bats. It’s truly a ficials, community leaders and conservationists attended. race. But the world is waking up to the intrinsic beauty and di- Terrestrial conservation lags far behind protection of marine versity of bats and their irreplaceable contributions to ecosystem systems here, but in places it’s catching up. Palau, the Federated health and human well-being. States of Micronesia and other countries that signed on to “The Our founder, Dr. Merlin Tuttle, has done more than any Micronesia Challenge” have pledged to protect at least 30 per- other individual to create this new appreciation of bats, and he cent of their marine territory and 17 percent of their terrestrial remains one of their most influential advocates aroud the world. ecosystems. On Fiji, the group NatureFiji-MareqetaViti is teach- It’s Merlin’s vision and legacy that the staff and Board of BCI ing children the importance of protecting Fiji’s bats and forests. will continue under this transformational Strategic Plan. In the Solomons, several large islands have been set aside as na- ture preserves, and organizations are helping communities find economic alternatives to intensive logging and mining – or help- ing them cope after the effects of such activity become obvious.

Andrew Walker Executive Director P.O. Box 162603, Austin, Texas 78716 BATS (512) 327-9721 fax: (512) 327-9724 Washington, D.C. Office Volume 31, No. 4, W i n t E r 2 0 1 3 4600 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203 (703) 962-6775

P ublicAtions s tA f f Director of Publications: Robert Locke FEATURES Graphic Artist/Photo Editor: Jason Huerta Copyeditors: Angela England, Valerie Locke The Memo from our BATS welcomes queries from writers. Send your article proposal with a brief outline and a description of any photos to: Executive Director [email protected]. Members: Please send changes of address and all cor res pondence to the address above or via email to 2 A Bold Path for the Future [email protected] . Please include your label, if possible, and BCI’s five-year Strategic Plan for global bat conservation allow six weeks for the change of address. Founder: Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle 8 The Surprising Social Calls E x E c u t i v E D i r E c to r : Andrew B. Walker of a ‘Solitary’ Bat b oA r D o f D i r E c to r s : Walter C. Sedgwick, Chair by Gabriel Reyes Dr. Cullen Geiselman, Vice Chair Anne-Louise Band, Secretary 10 Making a Difference Sandy Read, Treasurer Danielle Gustafson; Dr. John Hayes; C. Andrew Marcus; Bettina Mathis; Dr. Gary F. McCracken; John D. 13 Five ‘Cryptic’ Bats for West Africa Mitchell; Steven P. Quarles; Dr. Wes Sechrest; Susan Molecular biology reveals unexpected diversity in Senegal Wallace; Joe Walston; Joseph Zillo. by Darina Koubínová s c i E n c E A Dv i s o ry c o m m i t t E E : Dr. Gary McCracken (Board Liaison), Dr. Kate Jones, Dr. Thomas H. Kunz, Dr. Tigga Kingston, Dr. Rodrigo Of Molecules, Cryptic Bats and Refugia Medellín, Dr. Paul Racey, Dr. Charles Rupprecht. by Nancy Irwin BCI Science Panel Dr. Leslie S. Hall, Dr. Greg Richards, Australia; Dr. Jiri 16 Bats in the Burns Gaisler, Czech Republic; Dr. Arnulfo Moreno-Valdez, Mexico; Dr. Herman Limpens, Netherlands; Dr. Armando Studying the impact of wildfires and climate change Rodriguez-Duran, Puerto Rico; Dr. Shahroukh Mistry, by Carol Chambers and Erin Saunders United States; Dr. José R. Ochoa, Venezuela. Membership Manager: Amy McCartney BATS (ISSN 1049-0043) is published quarterly by Bat Con ser vation International, Inc., a nonprofit corporation NEWS & NOTES supported by tax-deductible contributions used for public ed- ucation, research and conservation of bats and the ecosystems 18 The Florida bonneted bat is officially Endangered that depend on them. © Bat Conser vation International, 2013. All rights reserved. BCI’s first Bats and Wind Energy Workshop Bat Conservation International’s mission is to conserve the Hints of hope in talks to save the bats of Bracken Cave world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet. Bats, kids, TV and the Internet A subscription to BATS is included with BCI membership: Senior, Student or Educator $30; Basic $35; Friends of BCI Monfort Cave survives $45; Supporting $60; Contributing $100; Patron $250; Sus- taining $500; Leader Circle $1,000. Third-class postage paid BCI Member Snapshot at Austin, Texas. Send address changes to Bat Conser vation In- The Wish List ternational, P.O. Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716.

COVER PHOTO: Hoary bats like this one use echolocation for foraging, of course, but they also emit some other sounds. Researchers are exploring the role of these Facebook.com/batcon Twitter.com/BatConIntl remarkably complex social calls. See page 8. © mERlin d. TuTTlE, BCi / 8114404 AA BBOLDOLD NPATHEW PATH FORFOR THE THE FFUTUREUTURE BCI’sBCI’s five-yearfive-year StrategicStrategic PlanPlan forfor globalglobal batbat conservationconservation ©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 8406409 Courtesy of lindy luMsden

he last echolocation BCI will transform itself into call ever heard from a true global leader in bat T the Christmas Island conservation by taking our work pipistrelle was recorded on August to a much greater scale and im- 26, 2009. Then the once-abundant pact. We will work to prevent species, named for the Australian further extinctions of bat species, island that was its only home, fell identify and protect the world’s forever silent – the most recent bat most Significant Bat Areas, em- species to go extinct. The alarm had power communities, build local been raised and a rescue plan conservation capacity, nurture proposed. But action came too late. The Christmas Island pipistrelle (above) became ex- (future science and conservation By the time a full response was tinct four years ago. BCI is dedicated to preventing leaders and build a comprehen- authorized, the Christmas Island the disappearance of any other bat species. (Top) Mil- sive database that drives bat con- pipistrelle was gone. lions of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from Central servation worldwide. “Without a champion,” con- Texas’ Bracken Cave, which BCI owns and protects. With a 30-year history of in- cluded Dr. Tara Martin of Australia’s ternational conservation and an national science agency, “species will continue to fall through expanding network of partners and allies, BCI is uniquely posi- the cracks.” Bat Conservation International is committed tioned to lead this global effort. Increasingly, our staff and Direc- through its new five-year Strategic Plan to being that champion tors will more fully reflect this global commitment. for bat species throughout the world. Bats of some 1,300 species are critical contributors to BCI’s staff and Board of Directors developed this Strategic healthy natural environments and human economies on every Plan as a road map to focus our priorities and expand our im- continent but Antarctica. They consume crop-destroying in- pact around the world through 2018 and beyond. These care- sects, pollinate valuable plants and scatter seeds to regrow dam- fully developed priorities and goals will guide BCI in its mission aged forests. Yet almost everywhere, bats face a rogues’ gallery to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems. of threats.

BATS 2 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 Loss of habitat to human activities remains the most wide- situation is dire. spread peril. But bats are still casually killed because BCI is partnering with Washington, of harmful myths and misplaced fears. D.C.-based NatureServe to create the They are hunted for food and world’s first comprehensive database for folk medicine, and their caves are bat species’ distribution, population size, disturbed by improper habitat needs, and threats. We mining and thoughtless tourism. will serve as a Conservation Data Cen- Bats are vulnerable to many inva- ter for bats, the first organized under sive species. More recently, White- NatureServe for a specific taxon, and nose Syndrome, a disease caused by work with other databases, conserva- an introduced fungus, has killed mil- tion groups, researchers and scien- lions of North American bats since tific networks worldwide to 2006. Meanwhile, collisions with populate this global bat inventory, wind-energy turbines are taking an in- which will provide a powerful creasing toll around the world. And tool for prioritizing conservation, looming on the horizon is climate making land-use decisions and change, which already threatens to disrupt detecting early declines in pop- the life cycles of and plants on ulations. which bats depend and to degrade roost Our global bat database sites and water sources. will help identify critical gaps The International Union for Conserva- in our knowledge of priority tion of Nature (IUCN) lists 26 bat species as bat species, gaps that BCI will work Critically Endangered with an extreme risk of with partners to fill through grants and scholar- extinction and 52 others as Endangered. An- ships programs, rapid ecological assessments and other other 94 bat species are considered Vulnerable, strategies. These efforts will include research to document the while 203 bat species are listed as “Data Deficient”– there is vital ecosystem services that bats provide and their direct eco- simply too little information available to determine their con- nomic value to agriculture and forestry, information that makes servation status. a powerful argument for their conservation. Because bats reproduce slowly, with females of most species BCI will also stimulate the development and improvement giving birth to a single pup per year, populations are especially of new technologies for research and monitoring of bat popu- vulnerable to the deaths of breeding-age adults. Recovery from lations. We continue working with diverse partners to perfect serious losses is painfully slow and tenuous at best. It is often acoustic deterrents to minimize bat mortality at wind-energy difficult to spot significant declines in such species until their facilities. And lighter, more powerful GPS transmitters would

Bats of more than 1,300 species provide ecological and economic benefits on every continent but Antarctica, yet they are threatened around the globe.

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 3 BATS ©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 0043385 humans, and the environment are inextricably linked. BCI must be a voice of moderation in this debate, spurring re- search on the most pressing bat and human health issues and arguing for practical, affordable means to safeguard bat habitats, minimize bat-human interactions and avoid the indiscriminant killing of bats as pests. No longer is it enough to protect individual caves, roosts and colonies. Bats often have complex social interactions, and species vary greatly in their habitat needs. Bats often range over many miles on their nightly foraging flights and migratory species can cover hundreds, even thousands, of miles along their seasonal routes, often ignoring international boundaries. Effective bat conservation, therefore, must consider each species’ roosting and foraging requirements, as well as roosting, foraging and watering needs along migratory paths. BCI will work at a landscape level to protect an entire population’s colonies and habitats. In the case of migratory bats, our conser- vation target areas will expand dramatically, sometimes reaching hemispheric levels. A BCI scientist measures a Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bat (Rousettus amplexicaudatus) in the Philippines. Scientific This will be reflected in the selection of Significant Bat information is essential for effective bat conservation, and BCI Areas. We will launch intensive on-the-ground conservation will stimulate research around the world. efforts by BCI and our partners and work with local com - munities and leaders to educate residents about the value and allow scientists to track smaller bats across large distances. New needs of bats and build a commitment to protect their bats and or improved methods for accurately counting large numbers of bat habitats. bats without intruding into hibernacula or maternity roosts Some threats defy geographic boundaries and impact would help us better monitor population trends. BCI will also multiple species across large portions of the world. White-nose work with both nonprofit and commercial partners to develop Syndrome and wind energy are two examples. BCI will work at consumer-friendly bat detectors and identification devices to scale to minimize such threats and to quickly identify and deal popularize bat watching and advance citizen science for bats. with new ones. In the debate over bats as vectors and reservoirs of zoonotic Meeting such vast challenges and preventing the destruction diseases, BCI will become a leading advocate for a balanced of critical habitats will require the coordinated efforts of a wide “One Health” approach, which recognizes that the health of array of partners and colleagues at almost every level of govern-

SIGNIFICANT BAT AREAS Prioritizing bat conservation around the world

he heart of BCI’s Strategic Plan is the concept of Significant Bat Areas

T(SBAs), landscapes throughout the world where especially important ©MiChael durhaM, Minden piCtures/BCi / 0427863 bat species and/or populations face broad or imminent threats. Our wide- ranging conservation efforts will largely focus on these key sites. Working with an array of partners, BCI will identify and protect SBAs through science-based conservation plans designed for lasting protection and management of critical species, habitats and migratory routes. We will pursue breakthrough conservation strategies that can be applied at scale across multiple SBAs. Our goal: by 2025, Bat Conservation International The Critically Endangered Rodrigues flying fox (Pteropus will have conservation action plans in place for 150 SBAs and will have rodricensis) is found only on a single island some 1,500 protected viable populations of priority bat species at 50 of them. miles (2,400 kilometers) off the coast of southern Africa.

BATS 4 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 ments, decision makers, nonprofits and in- dustries, along with such international devel- opment agencies as the World Bank. BCI will build these partnerships and also work to en- gage existing regional bat science and conser- vation networks. Our ultimate goal is a bat-conservation movement that spans the globe. Permanent, self-sustaining bat conserva- tion also requires empowering local conserva- tionists and organizations and nurturing new generations of bat biologists who will con- tinue and magnify these efforts far into the future. BCI will expand its conservation grants and Student Research Scholarship pro- grams. And we will launch new initiatives to strengthen local groups and support talented young scientists who will lead the way for years to come. Achieving these vital, worldwide goals will require a significant increase in support, Courtesy of rodrigo MarCiente and BCI will expand and improve its Field assistants prepare tissue samples as part of Rodrigo Marciente’s study of forest conditions and bat diversity in the Amazon forests of Brazil. The project was sup- fundraising from public and private sources. ported by a BCI Student Research Scholarship. We must also enhance our outreach to edu- cate not dozens of people but thousands, even millions. These clearly are very ambitious goals. But they can be achieved if Bat Conservation International and its many members and friends commit to this Strategic Plan for the next five years and for many years beyond. The world can become a safer place for bats.

You’ll find BCI’s Strategic Plan at www.batcon.org/strategicplan

The identification and prioritization of Significant Bat Areas will deavors, for conserving bats. be based on the presence of: We will also increase ac- quisition of critical habitat and 1. One or more globally threatened bat species, especially those the creation of new public listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the Inter- parks and preserves to protect national Union for the Conservation of Nature. bats. 2. High concentrations of bat species in areas of major ecolog- Our Field Training Work- ical integrity. shops will be closely tied to the 3. Mega-populations of bats, including areas that harbor a high conservation of Significant Bat percentage of the total population of a species (such as major Areas, delivering hands-on hibernacula or migratory concentrations). training to targeted communi- 4. Bat species that are geographically restricted, either perma- ties, conservationists, students nently or periodically, and therefore especially vulnerable to and scientists to build their ca- habitat degradation and loss. pacity to lead conservation ini- / 0 0 1 0 4 9 3 For many threatened species and SBAs, local support and tiatives. commitment are essential for long-term conservation. BCI and Strategic Bat Areas are a its partners will work with schools, civic leaders, community key tool for building sustain- groups, local officials and others to build appreciation for the ben- able conservation that will efits of bats, end harmful practices and foster a lasting sense of ensure healthy natural ecosys- community pride in the SBA and its bats. Where appropriate, we tems and human economies will work with local communities to create economic incentives, for generations to come. ©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi such as ecotourism, compatible guano harvesting and other en- Kasanka National Park in

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 5 BATS Critical Conservation Strategies Bat Conservation International will maximize its conservation impact by focusing on these ten critical conservation strategies that form the core of its five-year Strategic Plan:

1. Accelerate scientific research collaboratively to strengthen existing regional bat conserva- Effective conservation is built upon a sound scientific under- tion and scientific networks with the ultimate goal of building standing of the biology, range, habitats, threats and conserva- a unified global bat federation. tion status of each species. But bats are difficult to study and huge gaps in our knowledge persist. BCI is committed to 6. Address threats impacting multiple species working with international partners to begin filling those crit- at multiple sites ical gaps to enhance bat conservation worldwide. To help White-nose Syndrome and wind-energy facilities are among a build public support for bat conservation, BCI will stimulate number of severe threats that imperil multiple bat species research that further documents the immense economic and across large portions of the world. BCI will work at scale to ecological value of bats. develop strategies for minimizing such current and future threats. 2. Prevent Extinctions Bats are an essential, but often unappreciated, part of healthy 7. Promote community-based conservation ecosystems and economies around the world. If bat species of bats disappear, we will all pay a heavy price for the loss of Conservation is ultimately local. BCI will work to strengthen control, plant pollination or seed-dispersal services. The Inter- the capacity of local organizations and communities to protect national Union for the Conservation of Nature lists at least 78 globally threatened bat species and important Significant Bat bat species as Endangered or Critically Endangered. BCI will Areas. Much of BCI’s education and marketing will take place work with the IUCN and many other partners worldwide to at the community level. halt the de cline and begin recovery for the world’s most en- dangered species. 8. create and Help Enforce legal & Policy frameworks 3. Protect Areas of High bat Diversity Outside of Western , bats have few legal protections To protect the maximum number of bat species in the most and are legally classified as vermin in some countries. BCI will efficient and timely way, BCI will identify and protect land- build public understanding and support for bats and work to scapes of high ecological integrity and a rich diversity of bat create greater regulatory and legal safeguards in the places we species, regardless of their current conservation status. work, with the long-term goal of creating an international bat conservation treaty. 4. Preserve mega-Populations of bats Bats’ importance to their ecosystems is difficult to overstate. 9. Help Develop and Perfect important This is particularly true where bat populations number in the technologies millions, such as the Mexican free-tailed bats of the Texas Hill BCI will help identify needed technologies and work with the Country and straw-colored fruit bats of Africa. These mega- scientific community and the nonprofit and for-profit sectors populations are crucial to the health of their habitats, and to develop and perfect them. These include GPS transmitters their loss would have profound consequences for agriculture, to track small, insectivorous bats across large landscapes and forestry and natural ecosystems. Such populations also hold along migration routes; effective acoustic deterrents to mini- significant potential for educating the public. BCI will iden- mize bat fatalities at wind turbines; and consumer-friendly bat tify and protect mega-populations of bats wherever they are detection and identification devices. found, including areas that support a high percentage of a species’ total population. 10. invest in tomorrow’s conservation leaders One of BCI’s greatest impacts grows from its support of 5. forge Global strategies & Partnerships promising students and young scientists who have emerged as Arresting and reversing the decline of bats requires an inte- leaders in the study and conservation of bats. BCI will expand grated global effort. BCI will forge partnerships with the its scholarship program and launch new initiatives to create World Bank and other international development agencies and support a new generation of talented young researchers and with the resource-extraction and energy industries to pre- and conservationists dedicated to the lasting survival of the vent the loss of habitat for priority species. BCI will also work world’s 1,300+ species of bats.

BATS 6 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 mAkinG A DiffErEncE

©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 4013517 Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall You Can Protect Bats All Year Round Brown big-eared bat ( auritus) ©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 8372105 Hibernation, pups born and nursed, forag- ing, migration – every SEASON, every MONTH, bats continue through their life cycle, contributing to healthy ecosystems and strong economies. To help conserve the world’s bats through all the seasons of the year, we hope you will consider becoming a monthly, recurring member of BCI. That makes your giving as natural as the bats’ Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) ©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 8761301 care taking of the planet. • Recurring members are also good for the ecosystem, since they eliminate the need for mail! • Renew or join with a monthly recurring membership of $10 or more. • Your credit card will be charged auto- matically and you can change or cancel your gift at any time. • you’ll always be a current member! Eastern red bat ( borealis) ©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 7101201 • And each January you receive the $100 member gift and a receipt for the year's donations. Please enroll online: www.batcon.org/recurring for more information: contact us at [email protected] thank you! Waterhouse’s leaf-nosed bat (Macrotus waterhousii)

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 7 BATS Courtesy of gaBriel reyes

TTHEHE SSURPRISINGURPRISING SSOCIALOCIAL CCALLSALLS OFAOFA ‘S‘SOLITARYOLITARY’’ BBATAT

by Gabriel Reyes

Gabriel Reyes and assistant Michelle Slosser measure a hoary bat as part of Reyes’ study of the species’ use of social calls.

wo hoary bats are flying together across the and Canada and as far south as Argentina. The hoary bat is also arid landscape of New Mexico. My bat detec- the only land mammal native to Hawaii. These insectivorous T tor records not echolocation calls, but some- bats roost alone or in family groups of a mother and her pups thing else. And, unlike most of the hoary bats’ echolocation (usually twins) and prefer roosts in the foliage of trees, or occa- calls, these sounds are audible – I can hear them speaking. The sionally in cavities of large trees or beneath peeling bark. bats, first one and then the other, seem to be exchanging similar Their spring and fall migration routes have been reported at vocalizations: social calls that I cannot begin to translate. This 250 to well over 1,000 miles (400 to 1,600 kilometers), and is surprising behavior for what’s considered a solitary species groups of hundreds of migrating hoaries have been reported. (except during migrations). Many questions about the ecology and habits of hoary bats re- Echolocation, the remarkable biosonar system that bats use main unanswered, and little is known about their behavior dur- to “see” in the dark, has been studied for more than 70 years. ing migrations. Understanding how individual bats react to calls Flying bats emit the ultrasonic calls into their path, then analyze should give new insight into these mysterious social interac- the echoes that come bouncing back. But bats also produce tions. other, less-studied vocalizations: the “social calls” they use to Research on the hoary and other migratory tree bats has be- communicate with one another. These are often at lower, audi- come especially urgent since these species are suffering very high ble frequencies, and we are only beginning to translate these fatality rates at wind-energy developments during their fall mi- calls and understand their purpose. gration. Some researchers have suggested that mating or social Researchers have confirmed that bats gain information about behavior during migration may increase their vulnerability to the activities of other bats by eavesdropping on echolocation wind-turbine collisions. A better understanding of the social be- calls, and that they share information by producing specialized havior and ecology of these species could help guide conserva- social calls. With support from a Bat Conservation International tion and mitigation strategies. Student Research Scholarship, I am studying the surprising For example, acoustic deterrents are being developed by BCI complex roles of social calls in the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). and others to discourage bat activity at wind turbines and other These are handsome bats, with long, dense, white-tipped potentially threatening structures. Our lab at Humboldt State fur. Hoaries are found throughout most of the United States University has found that broadcasting social calls of hoary bats

BATS 8 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 can be effective at deterring bats of other species from ponds. In these trials, most hoary bats were captured directly over But deploying these calls on wind turbines could be problematic the loudspeaker. I often observed them flying in circles over it, until we understand how hoary bats respond. which suggests that they aren’t shy about approaching other bats My research is built around playback experiments, in which emitting these calls. I also observed groups of bats arriving to- recorded calls are broadcast over speaker systems. While com- gether at a site. Social factors may underlie such hoary bat mon in bird studies, call playback is not widespread in bat re- groups, and social calls may help to maintain group cohesion search. As my work shows, however, the technique can be a during migration. Much more research is required to examine valuable method to explore species behavior, as well as a tool this hypothesis. for luring particularly elusive bats for capture. Missing from my data is the response of females to call play- My first year of fieldwork was conducted in north-central back. Females were rarely present in New Mexico during the New Mexico during the spring migration (May 15-June 15) times I was there, and I was unable to locate any females during and in northern California in the fall (August 31-October 18). the fall migration in California. I am working to fill these gaps. At each location, I placed my primary mist net where inci- Also, it is thought that social calls are associated with mating, dental captures were unlikely, such as against vegetation, then and their presence at wind developments could be indicative of placed a loudspeaker about five feet (1.5 meters) off the ground mating behavior. However, after finding that social calls are used behind the net. Additional nets were positioned across flyways, in other behavioral contexts, I urge caution interpreting behav- usually streams or ponds, to monitor bat activity in the area. iors based on acoustic data alone – at least until we learn much I broadcast two sound files of recorded social calls and cre- more about these complex and fascinating vocalizations. ated a control file by sampling the silence between calls so that the speaker would be operating but broadcasting only silence. GABRIEL REYES is a graduate student at Humboldt State Uni- Bat detectors were used during the trials to record social vo- versity in the lab of Dr. Joe Szewczak, and works as a wildlife ecol- calizations and determine species richness and activity. Echolo- ogist at H.T. Harvey and Associates. cation calls were automatically classified to species, but since the software does not recognize social calls, I had to search through all recorded call files to identify them. I conducted a total of 35 nights of trials the first year, 23 dur- ing the spring and 12 in the fall, and captured a total 374 bats of 15 species. Excluding nights with no hoary bat captures, and nights where I did not use my final selection of social calls, I was left with 10 nights in the spring and 10 more during the fall for a total of 104 total trials (52 control, 26 Laso2, 26 Laso3). During the spring, I captured 18 hoary bats using playback and only one during the control trial without the broadcasts. In the fall, I captured 12 hoaries with call broadcasts and none without. Clearly, hoary bats are attracted to broadcasts of their social calls. It originally had seemed likely that these social calls might be used primarily for mating behavior, as most of my original call files were recorded during late July and August, presumably when mating behavior starts. But the recordings of social calls during the spring migration, when only non-reproductive males were present, suggest this is not the case. I also frequently ob- served, during both seasons, groups of bats flying together and making social calls to each other. I recorded several examples of two bats making similar social calls back and forth. This may be coincidental, but it seemed to be a fairly common behavior among groups of hoary bats. I am hesitant to draw firm conclusions from these preliminary data about why hoary bats are attracted to the social calls of their species. As has been found in other studies during the summer, they might emit social calls as a warning to other bats as they de- fend territories or foraging patches. But the hoary bats’ fast, direct flight and large-bodied prey suggest they do not forage primarily on clusters of insects, but hunt instead over broad areas where lit- Courtesy of gaBriel reyes tle would be gained by defending territory. Also, at least some The remarkable natural camouflage of the hoary bat, which typi- hoary bats respond to social calls by investigating the source, cally roosts on large trees, is on dramatic display with this bat which argues against a territorial purpose. And, of course, defend- that perched on a pine tree in New Mexico after being measured ing territory during migration would be a waste of energy. and released by researchers.

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 9 BATS mAkinG A DiffErEncE Individual & Family Donors Thanks to your support, BCI is working around the globe to ensure that our children and grandchildren will reap the ecological and economic benefits of bats for years to come. We offer our heartfelt thanks to these individuals and families who donated $1,000 or more from Dec. 1, 2012, through nov. 30, 2013, or $250 to $999 between July 1 and october 31, 2013.

Dec. 1, 2012 - nov. 30, 2013 Robert Coffland Elysabeth Kleinhans David Cohn Jane & Bill Lacy $10,000 and Above Amy Corbin Vega A. Lalire Stewart Corn Joanna Langdale Sandra Berglund Glenna A. Dowling Lee W. Lenz Estate of Suzanne M. Corbett Sylvia A. Earle Liza Levy Susan A. Fredericks Frank C. Eliot Chris & Gary Linden Cullen Geiselman William Epley Ed Littlefield, Jr. William N. Mayo Anne W. Everly John D. Logan Estate of Roderick Mills Bruce & Mary Feay Leonard & Linda Lombardi Estate of Ronald S. Treichler H. Rugeley Ferguson Daniel MacEachron Michele H. Finley Barbara Malizia $5,000 - $9,999 Judy & Arnie Fishman Andrew & Courtney Marcus Jennifer & Parnell Flynn Jacqueline B. Mars Anonymous Cornelia P. Ford Mike Schaeffer & Michelle Maton Estate of Jean Dunbar Maryborn Caroline A. Forgason Julie Mattox Rodrigo A. Medellin Cameron H. Fowler Candy & Monte Midkiff Anne L. Pattee Sheila Wallace & Gary M. Gabris Lucile Swift Miller Terry & Bill Pelster Avril Gardner David & Trinh Mitchell Walter & Jeanne Sedgwick Gianluca Gera Ruth Moore Brad & Shelli Stanback Mike & Anne Germain Mr. & Mrs. Edmund S. Morgan Karen L. Van Dusen Martin & Susan Giesecke Kris Knoernschild & Mark Murzin Marj Lundy & James Godshalk Dennis Myers $1,000 - $4,999 Robert Gordon Lynne Nelson Bert Grantges Mr. & Mrs. John W. Newman Anonymous (3) Dr. & Mrs. Donald K. Grayson Heidi Nitze John & Emily Alexander Ray Groover, Jr. Diane Pienta & David O'Donahoe Mark E. Anderson Amy E. Grose Virginia Ogle Robin M. Anderson Brad Klein & Danielle Gustafson Pat Ormsbee Doris Applebaum Mr. & Mrs. William Haber Liss Fain & Edmund Payne Ann Bacon Mrs. Philippe G. Hammerness Ellen Petrick Gerald N. Banta Residual Trust Derek W. Hargis Laura Plath and Richard E. Kunz Hugo B. Barreca Ann H. Harvey Kathryn K. Powers Richard Blenz Rebecca M. Harvey Ann & Stephen D. Ramsey Gerald Blizzard Craig Hester Thomas & Lisa Read Michael Bodri George (Tim) & Karen Hixon Ed & Peggy Reed Duncan Boeckman Steve & Marty Hixon Margo Reid Mr. & Mrs. Louis Brandt Esther F. Hope Peter & Sara E. Ribbens Erica Brendel Jo Kurth Jagoda Mr. & Mrs. L. George Rieger Ulista Brooks-Hoover Gwen Brewer & George Jett Jane Riggs Jane K. & Marshall Brown Wanda C. John Carolyn C. Rizza Dr. & Mrs. Howard S. Burt Judith M. Joy David Robbins Patricia A. Butenis Derry & Charlene Kabcenell Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Roberts Jo A. Carlton & John I. McClurkin William J. Karwoski John M. Roberts Ms. & Mr. Candace M. Carroll Elizabeth Kempski Beth Robertson David H. Clarke Elizabeth F. Kitchen Chris Sanders

BATS 10 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 mAkinG A DiffErEncE

Rebecca Schad Charlotte W. Coiner Teresa Ohmit Miriam & Tom Schulman Barry Cooper Claire Oppenheim Judith Schultz Ernest Copley, III Janea & John Pabst Russell Shay Yvonne Cort & Dennis Cohn Mr. & Mrs. Anne Parrish Kay Sibary & Robert "Buck" Shaw David Crabb Cynthia Patterson Ron Sion Ellen Kay Crouch Robert B. Paul Nicholas A. Skinner Lawrence Dean Larry & Elaine Perkins Ann C. Smith Terri Upshaw & David Delegator Brad & Sharon Peterson Mary D. Smith Hal Pitkow & Toni Donina Peggy L. Phillips Wes Smith Nancy Dudley Kris Gulbran & Pat Pielage K. Rene Smith Staff & George M. Staff Virginia Eddy Christine Proctor Wendell Starr Sara Elder Philip Puschel Barbara & Ed Sturm Leonard Frost Bertina Richter Paula Szortyka Mr. & Mrs. Milton Fuller Jim & Janice Roberts Dick & Linda Taylor Diana Gardener Juan Rodriguez George R. Thompson & Mary Christiana Garton Ron Rydarowicz Fleming Finlay Wallace Good Michael Schaeffer Jaimie Trautman Mr. & Mrs. John B. Goodrich, Jr. Suzanne Scheidt Merlin D. Tuttle Cynthia Ann Gray Gerry & Kathleen Scott William Vanderson Favero Greenforest Tanja Scott Cynthia G. Vann & Charles R. Pease, Jr. Steven L. Griffith Ronald I. Silverman Ursula Vernon Anne Gunn Tom Butler & Maryjane Spooner Andrew & Christina Walker Samuel A. Hanger Cheryl Stegmaier Cynthia Wayburn Judith M. Harada Louis W. Stevens Mr. & Mrs. Marc Weinberger John & Patricia Harding Rod Stiefvater Laura Welsh Stephen Harvey Robert Sundquist Laurie L. West John Hatchell Lina Takla Daniel & Barbara Williams Brian Michel & Jo Ann Herr Glenn Taylor Melissa A. Williams Trista Hoffman Paul Theis Kirsten Winter & Charles Van Tassel Lorinda Hohenbrink Carol Todd Brad Wuest Hayward J. Holbert Sally S. Tongren Beverly Young Lee Holcomb Joyce & Leonard Tufts Andrew & Sasha Honig Marlene Vandenbos July 1 - october 31, 2013 Debby Siegele & Jim Hu Kathleen Vestecka Joshua & Julianna Kershen Dani Walthall $250 - $999 Robert Y. Kopf, Jr. Peter Cohen & Ann Watson Michael J. Koski Nicholas Wilson Michael Adami-Sampson Charlene Kramer Johanna W. Wissinger Anonymous Heather Labe Carol R. Yaster Penelope Ayers Carol Landsberg John E. Bassett & Sue Bassett Jan Lesniak David Bird Roger & Gillian Levine Steve Brandon Mr. & Mrs. Scott Linn Brian Brikowski Lee & Peter Lockwood William A. Bunch Jan Lower Mr. & Mrs. J. Paul Burney Charlea Massion Brad Lancaster & Maureen Burns Marilyn Mause Brian Buttazoni Margaretha McGrail Tim Caron Kirk McKay Mr. & Mrs. Todd R. Caspell Peter G. Mennen Mrs. Thomas A. Cassilly Shahroukh Mistry Eric Chase I. Terry Myers Gordon G. Chase Kevin Neelley J. Mark Cline Beate Nolan Dina Cody Colleen O'Brien

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 11 BATS mAkinG A DiffErEncE Foundations & Corporations Many of BCI’s most valued partners are corporations and government agencies, and they, along with foundations, also provide key donations and grants that make our successes possible. thanks to these who helped from Dec. 1, 2012, through nov. 30, 2013 – and to all of BCI’s supporters. Together, we make it work.

foundations & corporations The Hulebak-Rodricks Foundation Community Shares of Minnesota Katz Coffee Campaign Management $10,000 and above Lawrence E. Irell & Elaine Smith EarthShare Anonymous (3) Irell Foundation EarthShare of Texas Bass Foundation The Lawrence and Sylvia Wong Foundation Inc. Educational Test Service BP Corporation North America Inc. McKenzie River Gathering Foundation Employee's Charity Organization The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc. of Northrop Grumman Department of Defense - Legacy Program The Nature Conservancy Employee's Community Fund of the Boeing Co. Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Paragon Enterprises, LLC FINRA Duke Energy Parker Foundation The Fremont Group Foundation Evergreen II Fund Roadway Productions GE Foundation/GE United Way Campaign First Wind Energy, LLC Robert P. Rotella Foundation GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold skinnyCorp, LLC dba Threadless Goldman, Sachs & Co. Iberdrola Renewables TechSoup Microsoft Grainger Matching Charitable Gifts Program International Union for Conservation of Nature Titley Scientific LLC Halliburton Giving Choices Invenergy, LLC Woodland Park Zoological Society Harris Bank JDD Holdings, LLC $250 - $999 Hewlett-Packard Employee Charitable The Leo Model Foundation, Inc. Giving Program MAP Royalty Google IBM Corporation - Matching Gifts Program National Forest Foundation Paypal Giving Fund Housing Dev. Authority Admin. Fund Pinnacle Wind, LLC Potawatomi Zoological Society Independent Charities of America Read Foundation Quittapahilla Audubon Society ING SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program John Hancock Financial Svcs. U-Save Auto Rental Agencies Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies West Star Foundation Matching Gifts Program White Pine Fund $5,000 and above JPMorgan Chase Foundation - Matching Gift Wiancko Charitable Foundation, Inc. American Wind Energy Association & Volunteer Program Woodtiger Fund Arizona Game and Fish Dept. Kaiser Permanente Community $5,000 - $9,999 Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Giving Campaign Bureau of Land Management Kraft Foods Foundation Matching Gifts Program Benjamin Moore & Co. Macy’s Foundation Capital One Services, LLC National Renewable Energy Laboratory McKesson Foundation Inc. Columbus Zoological Park Association Nevada Department of Wildlife Merck Partnership for Giving Edward Gorey Charitable Trust Texas Parks and Wildlife MGM Resorts Foundation Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund US Forest Service (Region 3) Microsoft Giving Campaign The Frank Cross Foundation US Forest Service (Southern Research Station) New York Life Giving Campaign Franklin Philanthropic Foundation US Forest Service International Programs NSTAR Electric & Gas Corp. The G2 Gallery The ODS Companies K H Dominion Foundation matching Gifts OSIsoft Merice "Boo" Johnson Grigsby Foundation & Workplace Giving Pfizer Foundation The Negaunee Foundation American Express Co. Employee PPG Industries Foundation Singing Field Foundation The Progressive Insurance Foundation The Tim and Karen Hixon Foundation Giving Campaign AT&T United Way Employee Giving Campaign The Prudential Foundation $1,000 - $4,999 Bank of America Salesforce.com Foundation Adele M. Thomas Charitable Foundation Inc. Bank of the West Shell Oil Co. Foundation Matching Gifts American Wind and Wildlife Institute Battelle Thomson Reuters My Community Program Anonymous (2) BNY Mellon Community Partnership Time Warner Employee Grant Programs Bat Conservation Trust The Boeing Company Truist Boeckman Family Foundation BP Foundation, Inc. United Technologies The Foundation Capital Group Companies United Way of Central New Mexico Cave Research Foundation Chevron Humankind Employees United Way of Dane County Columbia Foundation Giving Campaign United Way of Greater Milwaukee David Nathan Meyerson Foundation City of Seattle United Way of New York City Freetail Brewing Company The Clorox Co. Foundation Employee Giving United Way of Okeechobee County, Inc. Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation Campaign Verizon Foundation Green Hotels Association Coca-Cola Foundation Matching Gifts Program Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign Howell Archaeological Services Coinstar Zynga

BATS 12 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 FFIVEIVE ‘C‘CRYPTICRYPTIC’’ BBATSATS FOR FOR WWESTEST AAFRICAFRICA

MolecularMolecular biologybiology revealsreveals unexpectedunexpected diversitydiversity inin SenegalSenegal

Courtesy of Jaroslav Č e r v e n ý by Darina Koubínová Researchers survey a national park in Senegal for small , including bats, as part of a project led by the Institute of Vertebrate Biology in the Czech Republic.

he first molecular analysis of bats in Senegal versity of York was an invaluable teacher and mentor through- revealed an exciting and unexpected diversity. out this study conducted on vesper bats (), the A Czech-UK team identified a remarkable five largest and most diverse bat family, with more than 400 species. crypticT species – groups of animals that appear, based on their Many vesper bats are very similar in appearance, especially external anatomy, to be a single species, but which are revealed in tropical regions, with few obvious external features to aid through their genetics to be two or more distinct species that species identification in the field. So I used two lab-based genetic cannot interbreed. Our study indicates that these new species techniques to determine species. The first was cytogenetics, in diverged from their African cousins about three to four million which the number and shape of chromosomes are characterized. years ago, during periods of changing climate. The second technique was molecular phylogenetics, where DNA This story of discovery begins in 2004, when Professor Petr is sequenced and the results compared to other individuals and Koubek of the Institute of Vertebrate Biology in Brno, Czech species. This was the first time that the bat fauna in Senegal had Republic, led the first of seven expeditions to Senegal on Africa’s been examined at a molecular and chromosomal level. western tip. The team from several Czech institutions surveyed I recorded the number and appearance of the chromosomes, the varied fauna of the Niokolo-Koba National Park in south- known as the karyotype, which can reveal relationships among eastern Senegal. groups of organisms and their evolutionary history. Individuals The park’s 3,525 square miles (9,130 square kilometers) of a single species usually share the same karyotype characteris- encompass woodland savannas, dry forests, gallery forests, tics, which can be unique and readily distinguishable. It is bamboos and grasslands, plus vast wetlands. It is the largest and thought that animals with very different chromosomes cannot oldest national park in Senegal. The park is listed as an Endan- produce normal and/or fertile young. gered World Heritage Site because of poaching and plans to While some bats differed in their karyotype from the same dam the river that flows alongside it. species in other areas, this was not always conclusive. We there- As a student at Charles University in Prague, I was fore sequenced DNA for up to eight genes from each of the sam- invited by Professor Jan Zima to analyze the samples of small ples. The power of such DNA analysis is dramatically enhanced mammals collected from this project. Later, as a Ph.D. student, by a freely accessible database of sequencing data from scientists I focused specifically on bats. Biologist Nancy Irwin of the Uni- worldwide (GenBank, maintained by the U.S. National Center

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 13 BATS of Biotechnology Information). This resource allows anyone to pipistrelle ( nana) and Somali serotine (N. somalica). directly compare their DNA results to what has gone before. I These bats clearly differ from others of their putative species was amazed at what comparisons revealed about these bats of in their DNA sequences, and also in the numbers or shapes of Senegal. their chromosomes. Additional taxonomic study and revision Ten species were confirmed in our samples. And five of them will be required to describe these species formally, since there were so different from their closest genetic relatives (their ap- are often several subspecies that must be traced and investigated. parent species) in other parts of Africa that they should be con- There may, in fact, be more than one cryptic species to describe sidered distinct species. in some of these new taxonomic complexes. It could also be that The five species are provisionally identified as Schlieffen’s bat the species from outside Senegal is the new (cryptic) one and (Nycticeinops schlieffenii), dark-winged lesser house bat ( the bats in Senegal will get to keep their original name. hirundo), African/dusky pipistrelle ( hesperidus), The molecular data allowed me to consider when the Sene-

Courtesy of Jaroslav Č e r v e n ý Courtesy of Jaroslav Č e r v e n ý Two of the cryptic bats identified by Darina Koubínová as distinctly different genetically from their closest African relatives, which are identified as the banana pipistrelle (for the left bat) and the dark-winged lesser house bat. Of Molecules, Cryptic Bats and Refugia by Nancy Irwin arina Koubínová’s impressive study demonstrates just how international Dbat science has become: bats collected in Senegal were studied in Prague, Brno and Studenec in the Czech Republic and York in the United Kingdom; the results were published in a German journal in English. It was remarkable for a Ph.D. student to find 5 new cryptic species in one study, and the con- clusion – that this cryptic diversity is evidence of a refugium – has global significance. The Czech Republic has long been at the forefront of bat ecological re- search in Europe. In 1968, the country hosted the first international bat con- ference in the town of Hluboká nad Vltavou, only to be interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Soviet tanks. I have been fortunate to work recently with a growing corps of talented scientists who come from this long tradition of bat research. In 2009, Darina spent a month at the University of York, where techni- cian Michaela Nelson and I helped her design the gene-sequencing part of her project and get the process working well before she returned to the In- stitute of Vertebrate Zoology in the Czech Republic. Over the next four Courtesy of petr synek years, Dr. Pavel Hulva of Charles University and I helped her define the na- Darina Koubínová prepares bat DNA for analysis.

BATS 14 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 galese species diverged from their cousins elsewhere in Africa, evolve or become extinct. This would help explain at least some splitting off from their original species to evolve into new ones. of the unexpected diversity we found in this region – and per- I estimate this divergence occurred about three to four million haps provide a little insight on today’s changing climate. years ago, which happens to coincide with the start of a major episode of climate change in West Africa. The region previously DARINA KOUBÍNOVÁ completed her Ph.D. at the Charles was covered with rainforest, but pollen studies show that it University in Prague, Czech Republic, where she focused on molec- began to dry out some three million years ago, transforming the ular phylogeny and comparative cytogenetics of small mammals, landscape into grassy savannas with a massive decline in trees. mainly bats, from Senegal, West Africa. Other studies suggest that the West African forests retreated into a small patch, which retained some of its original fauna. This research was originally reported in Frontiers in Zoology, an Our data support the related notion of a “refugium” that open journal that can be accessed online without charge, as “Hid- sheltered some forest species in Senegal. Refugia are landscape den Diversity in Senegalese Bats and Associated Findings in the fragments that largely escape periods of changing climate and Systematics of the Family Vespertilionidae” (2013); Darina retain previous environmental conditions, thus becoming a Koubínová, Nancy Irwin, Pavel Hulva, Petr Koubek and Jan haven for remnants of species that would otherwise rapidly Zima.

ture and origins of the biodiversity she discovered. might well be that at least one of the cryptic species could be Traditionally, bats were classified on easily identified external limited in numbers and area and face critical local threats. characteristics, such as measurements of the forearm, leg and A history of refugia can go a long way towards explaining ear. But with the advent of genetic analysis in the 1990s, it be- unexpected diversity in West Africa. A refugium is a limited ge- came increasingly common to find that what had always been ographical area that retains original environmental conditions considered a single bat species was, based on DNA differences, during a period of climate change. Multiple species are isolated actually two or more. together in a refugium, so scientists often find that their evolu- A famous example of this was the most-studied bat in Europe, tionary isolation from their nearest relatives dates to about that the common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). Originally con- time. You might think of a refugium as an ark where many sidered the only bat species in Europe to echolocate at two peak species find sanctuary from surrounding ecosystems in which frequencies, it was shown in 1997 to include two completely dif- they could no longer survive. Other members of the same ferent species – each using a different peak frequency. I was fasci- species might travel to a different part of the continent and find nated to learn that scientists had for so long been looking at bats refuge in a different refugium, a different ark. from a human perspective, while the bats actually see, hear and When they come back together, these species have been iso- share different cues about each that are very different from any- lated from each other for so long that they have changed so much thing we had been thinking about. Thus began my long-standing that they can no longer mate with each other. So while they re- interest in bats that are difficult to identify. main close relatives, they are no longer part of the same species. Since the work on the common pipistrelle, we’ve seen a mas- The change involved in Darina’s research is the well-known sive increase in reports of “new” cryptic species of bats. This drying of West Africa three to four million years ago, when it partly reflects the development of much more sophisticated changed from wet forest to dry savannah. Multiple studies are tools for identifying bats and much cheaper access to molecular documenting forest-adapted species in West Africa that seem to studies, as well as increasing research in rarely studied areas such have high genetic diversity within a species, as well as species as Africa. that are found nowhere else. This suggests that an isolated forest The impact of molecular research is huge. In 1994, Walker’s fragment remained during the drying period where animals and Mammals of the World recognized 925 bat species. By 2005, that plants managed to survive. Then, when the climate became wet- number had reached 1,116 – roughly 21 new species a year. The ter again, these fauna and flora dispersed into the landscape and latest reported total is approximately 1,300 bat species. And recolonized their former range. Many species in Africa are these changes go well beyond just describing new species. The thought to have very widespread distributions, but new studies research explores how those species are related to each other, are suggesting this may not always be accurate. West African with occasional changes in genera, tribes and subfamilies. biodiversity may be greater than previously thought. It is fundamental to know what species you’re dealing with What is even more striking is that these results are only a before effective conservation plans can be made, unless entire ge- small part of the accumulating findings that will emerge from ographic areas are being protected. But how do you choose the expeditions and collections of the Czech science teams. which areas to protect if you don’t know what’s there? With cryp- tic species, their conservation needs will, almost by definition, NANCY IRWIN was funded for this work by NERC as a Daphne be hidden. If three cryptic species are mistakenly considered a Jackson Research Fellow at the University of York in the United single species, for example, then that species likely would be as- Kingdom. She is currently studying urban monitoring programs sumed to have a large range and a large population size with no and New Guinean bats and has developed a research interest in severe threats to the population as a whole. The reality, however, emerging diseases in bats.

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 15 BATS BBATSATS IN IN THE THE BBURNSURNS StudyingStudying thethe impactimpact ofof wildfireswildfires andand climateclimate changechange

Courtesy of erin saunders by Carol Chambers and Erin Saunders Researchers captured bats in mist nets over this pond in a severely burned area of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in Arizona during their study of how bats respond to forest fires.

he Wallow Fire began with an abandoned Roost selection was a different story: bats of some species chose campfire on the Apache-Sitgreaves National roosts in completely charred tree trunks, including some sur- Forests in Arizona’s White Mountains on May rounded by burned-over forests. 29, 2011.T By the time it was controlled 40 days later, it had be- The forests of the White Mountains range from short- come the largest wildfire in the state’s history. Flames blazed statured piñon pine and juniper woodlands around 5,000 feet across 538,000 acres that range from high-country grasslands (1,500 meters) elevation to subalpine meadows above 9,000 feet to the giant pine forests favored by bats. And bats, like most (2,750 meters). In between are forests of tall ponderosa pine, other wildlife, will likely face more and more charred habitat in quaking aspen, and Douglas-fir trees. During summers, the the years to come. Thanks to decades of fire suppression and White Mountains are green, cool and lush with scattered ponds, livestock grazing, plus the stirrings of climate change, wildfires lakes and streams. At least 10 bat species spend their summers are becoming bigger and more frequent throughout the Amer- here, roosting in live trees and the dead trees known as snags. ican West. Many of them gather by species into maternity colonies to give Our field crew, a half-dozen biologists – plus 50 volunteers birth and raise pups. from Virginia to California who stepped up to help for a week Previous research has found that bats typically use snags of – spent an intense and arduous summer within the boundaries more than two feet (60 centimeters) in diameter. They roost in of that immense fire last summer as part of a study into how vertical cracks in the snags, but will also wedge themselves under bats adapt to a burned-over landscape. We captured bats in mist patches of loose bark that can house anywhere from one bat to nets over ponds, attached tiny radio transmitters to reproductive hundreds, depending on the species of bat and the size of the females and tracked them back to often-surprising maternity sheltering bark. More than 900 Arizona myotis (Myotis occultus) roosts. We call our research project, a collaboration of Northern were once counted as they emerged from a single snag. Arizona University and the National Forests, “Bats in the Wildfires, meanwhile, have been part of forest ecosystems Burns,” and we hope to expand into other wildfire-burned of the southwestern United States for centuries. Until the mid- forests in the Southwest. 1800s, lightning-caused fires burned through the ponderosa Our preliminary evidence suggests that, not surprisingly, pine forests every 2 to 20 years. The low flames of those fires bats prefer unburned areas for travel, foraging and drinking. burned grasses and shrubs, but moved too fast to kill large pine

BATS 16 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 trees with their thick, fire-resistant bark. That changed when the midst of burned-out forest. What causes these species to Euro-Americans arrived. Livestock grazing eliminated much of choose burned or unburned areas for roosting? Perhaps thermal the understory vegetation that had maintained low-intensity properties of roosts at these high elevations are important. We fires in the past. Plus, these new settlers considered such fires hope to find out more next summer, when we will be back in destructive and eventually began to extinguish them quickly. the White Mountains to hunt down still more roosts. Then, in the early twentieth century following a bumper This project has been full of surprises, not the least of which seed crop and a wet year, millions of pine seedlings germinated is that so many people are willing to volunteer to work at night and, without low-intensity fires to kill many of the tiny in remote and challenging terrain. And we were amazed at how seedlings, tree densities increased from tens to thousands per bats choose and use roosts in this wildfire-burned area. We were acre. And these now-dense forests are facing yet another stressor astonished when 70 bats emerged from a completely charred in the form of changing climate. The unusually dry summers pine snag. We found species segregating the use of snags based and winters that the Southwest is now experiencing have on the severity of fire damage in the surrounding landscape. changed the way fires burn in forests. Tall flames now reach for- That bats can bear and raise pups at elevations above 8,000 feet est canopies and incinerate whole trees and snags. The decades (2,400 meters) in such cold temperatures shows how unique of accumulated needles and forest litter smolder on the ground, and tough these little animals can be. killing old pine trees that would usually survive the fast-moving, We will continue our investigation next summer to expand pre-settlement fires. Today’s forest fires can be so hot they create our initial results into how bats are using the Wallow Fire zone. their own weather and wind patterns: a virtual firestorm. In ad- And we hope in the future to explore the remnants of large fires dition, humans are now one of the leading causes of fires. in Arizona and New Mexico. Given the certainty of climate The Wallow Fire scorched or incinerated many existing bat- change, it is imperative that we learn how this complex assem- friendly snags. Although new snags were created from trees blage of bats in the Southwest responds to this transformed killed by fire, many were smaller than the size preferred by bats. habitat. So the question becomes: would bats accept or reject these blackened snags? CAROL CHAMBERS is a Professor of Wildlife Ecology and ERIN To find out, we captured bats at 20 livestock ponds. Not all SAUNDERS is a Master of Science Candidate in the School of the area burned, so we split our efforts among ponds in areas of Forestry at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. high severity (at least 75 percent of surrounding landscape burned) or low (25 percent or less). Despite some rainy nights, between mid-June and the end of July, we captured more than 650 bats of 13 species, including the uncommon Allen’s big- eared bat (Idionycteris phyllotis). The long-legged myotis (Myotis volans) was the most common capture, accounting for 25 per- cent of the total. Arizona myotis, long-eared myotis (M. evotis), silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) and big brown bats ( fuscus) rounded out the top five, which represented 83 percent of our captures for the summer. With long days of driving over rough, rocky and muddy roads, plus rugged hikes into forested ravines, we tracked our radiotagged females back to their roosts. We also occasionally resorted to telemetry flights to locate roosts from the air. In all, we found 19 roosts, including one snag that was shared by an Arizona myotis and a long-legged myotis colony, each of which used a different part of the snag. More than half the roosts (58 percent) were large ponderosa pine snags, while 21 percent were Douglas-fir, 16 percent quak- ing aspen and 5 percent white fir. The pine snags averaged 24 inches (62 centimeters) in diameter and the Douglas-fir snags were 17 inches (43 centimeters). The average height of the roost snags was 80 feet (24 meters). Most of the bats roosted in unburned snags, and bats were mostly captured while foraging and drinking at ponds in habitat relatively untouched by fire. The Arizona myotis and long- legged myotis roosted in unburned snags surrounded by un- burned forest. However, four individuals of three species (long-eared myotis, fringed myotis [M. thysanodes] and Allen’s big-eared bat) used snags that were completely charred – picture Courtesy of erin saunders a huge, black toothpick. And big brown bats, long-eared myotis, Field Assistant Steven Granroth removes a bat from a mist net in fringed myotis and the single Allen’s big-eared bat roosted in a burned forest in Arizona.

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 17 BATS nEWs AnD notEs The Florida bonneted bat is officially Endangered he Florida bonneted bat, battered © Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 7371410 The Florida bonneted bat is the Tby disappearing habitat and first bat to join the Endangered threatened by climate change, is Species List in 25 years. The lesser being formally listed as Endangered long-nosed (Leptonycteris yerbabue- under the U.S. Endangered Species nae) and Mexican long-nosed bats (L. Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv- nivalis) were both listed in 1988. ice (USFWS), which proposed the Other U.S. Endangered bat species listing a year ago, said the designa- also include the gray myotis (Myotis tion took effect November 1, 2013. grisescens) and myotis (M. so- The species (Eumops floridanus), dalis), along with three subspecies: formerly known as Wagner’s mastiff the Virginia and Ozark big-eared bats bat, is documented in only a handful ( townsendii virginianus of manmade roosts in seven Florida and C.t. ingens) and the Hawaiian counties. No natural roosts are cur- hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus). rently known. The total population In addition to “small population is believed to number only a few size, restricted range, few colonies, hundred. slow reproduction, low fecundity and relative isolation,” the Florida bonneted bats do not migrate and they roost in tree USFWS says Florida bonneted bats face the risk of extinction hollows, buildings, under Spanish-tile roosts, in dead palm because of continuing loss and degradation of roosting and for- fronds and bat houses. Fast and agile, they hunt a variety of aging habitat due to human activities. night-flying insects over open spaces. The agency also said the impacts of climate change, “in - The USFWS also formally recommended Endangered cluding sea-level rise and coastal squeeze, are expected to become Species listing for the northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), severe in the future and result in additional habitat losses.” which has been decimated by White-nose Syndrome. The pro- One of the few bright spots for these beleaguered bats is that posal on October 1, 2013, begins a year of pubic comment and White-nose Syndrome is not considered a threat (at least for now) scientific investigation before a final decision will be announced. because they do not hibernate and inhabit a very warm climate.

BCI’s first Bats and Wind Energy Workshop

at Conservation International’s Bats and Wind Energy Pro- Hawaii was an ideal location. Not only are wind-energy sites Bgram has been working to minimize bat fatalities at wind-en- going up on several of the islands, but the state is home to the ergy sites for 10 years, even as wind energy expands rapidly federally Endangered Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus se- around the world. Last summer, the program hosted its inaugural motus) – a subspecies that is susceptible to collisions with wind Bats and Wind Energy Workshop in , Hawaii. turbines. The bat’s biology and ecology, as well as the regulatory The three-day session combined classroom presentations with framework and relevant research techniques, were discussed. hands-on experience to provide the latest information on moni- “This workshop was extremely productive for us at RELCOM toring equipment, state and federal guidelines and regulatory (the Latin American bat conservation network),” said Renzo Var- policies, effective study design, data analyses and strategies to re- gas Rodriguez of Chile. “Now we need to use it as soon as possible duce bat fatalities. The 25 instructors and participants included … for environmental impact assessments and ecological research representatives from the wind industry, biological consultants, in relation to wind power” in Latin America. state and federal agency staff and BCI. The Bats and Wind Energy Program will be scheduling addi- As a testament to the rapid expansion of wind energy and the tional workshops around the United States and also plans to col- urgent international need for information and guidance, partici- laborate with international partners to develop workshops in pants traveled from Australia, Chile and Puerto Rico to attend other countries where bats face the risks of wind turbines. this unique workshop. Thanks in large part to donations from BCI thanks First Wind, Titley Electronics, the U.S. Fish and BCI members, we were able to provide travel funds for two Latin Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University American colleagues. of Hawaii for contributing to the success of this workshop.

BATS 18 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 nEWs AnD notEs Hints of hope in talks to save the bats of Bracken Cave at Conservation International and its allies have been working most of the past year to protect the millions of bats that live in Bthe Bracken Cave Preserve from a 3,500-home subdivision that’s planned along the southern boundary of the 697-acre preserve that BCI owns and protects. After months of talks with the owners, negotiations to combine government and BCI funds to purchase the 1,545 acres as a protected natural area appear to have entered a new and more optimistic phase. “There is still a long way to go and no guarantees of success, but the tone of the discussions definitely seems more hopeful,” BCI Executive Director Andy Walker said after a meeting in mid-December. The situation remains uncertain and fluid, however, as negotiations are set to resume after the New Year. A “call to action” that BCI sent to members and friends last spring generated impressive support and we thank you all. This threat to Bracken Cave Preserve was unexpected and has severely taxed BCI’s resources. And we need your help more than ever. To learn the latest developments in this bat-conservation crisis and how you can help, please visit: www.batcon.org/savebracken Bats, kids, TV and the Internet hy do bats hang upside down? © lee MaCkenzie, BCi WHow come bats sleep all day? How long do bats live? Do bats bite? Can I have a bat for a pet? These were among the many ques- tions asked by kids in more than 250 classrooms scattered across the United States and into Canada as they watched – and participated in – Bats: Live on the Big Screen! this past Halloween. BCI Public Information Coordina- tor Dianne Odegard has partnered with the Texas Wildlife Association several times each year since 2009 for these in- teractive distance-learning programs. The Internet-based videoconferences, complete with live bats and the oppor- tunity for children to ask questions in real time, have dramatically amplified BCI’s educational voice. Odegard describes them as “show and tell” sessions that explain why bats are worth caring about and how kids can help bats. Bats, she kids get to see exactly what bats really look like. says, are never a hard sell for children, who seem to have a nat- And you just never know how far that spark of excitement at ural affinity for these much-maligned mammals. In the words seeing a real bat will take a child; perhaps some future bat scien- of a popular BCI poster: “Out all night, sleep all day – no won- tists and conservationists were in that fascinated young audience. der kids love bats!” Oh, and about those questions: Bats’ circulatory systems pre- The Halloween presentation was watched by more than vent blood from rushing to their heads; bats have adapted to 9,400 students in grades 1-5 in 11 U.S. states and 2 Canadian feast on night-flying insects and night-blooming plants; one provinces, a record for all of TWA’s distance-learning programs. species of insect-eating bat can live at least 41 years; bats, like With live bats of several U.S. species, as well as Zoey, an African any wild , may bite if frightened; and no, bats are wild straw-colored fruit bat who is a veteran BCI ambassador, the animals, and they do not make good or happy pets.

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 19 BATS nEWs AnD notEs TheWISH LIST Monfort Cave survives

Your help with any of these special needs will directly improve BCI’s yphoon Haiyan devastated people, property and wildlife across ability to protect bats and bat habitats. To contribute or for more Tmuch of the Philippines in November 2013. And while it in no information, contact BCI’s Department of Develop ment at (512) way lessens this heart-wrenching tragedy, BCI wants to share that one 327-9721 or [email protected]. of the worst typhoons ever to hit the island nation has spared long- New Gear for WNS Cave Surveys time BCI partner Norma Monfort, her family and the immense colony of fruit bats that live in the cave she owns and protects. With WNS moving westward, BCI is helping states “It is just dawning on me that what I watch on TV is real and not conduct winter bat surveys before the disease ar- from a movie,” Monfort wrote rives. This winter, we are visiting caves that haven’t in an email to BCI soon after the been surveyed in decades, so we have no idea what to typhoon hit. “It’s devastating expect. With difficult access, harsh weather and un- and horrible and it’s taking me certainty about the underground terrain, these sur- time to believe, since we are fine veys challenge our biologists in many ways. New caving gear will improve the safety and effectiveness here on Samal Island,” which of this important work. Stenlights are the most pow- was outside the storm’s path. erful caving lights on the market and will help us spot Roughly 1.8 million Geof- hibernating bats in crevices. These cost $296 each. We froy’s rousette fruit bats (Rouset- also need new head lamps and caving helmets for tus amplexicaudatus) roost in maximum safety. Petzl Elios helmets are $66 apiece. Monfort Cave. BCI has worked BCI will need six of of both units this winter for a with Monfort and an expanding total of $2,172. community of individuals and organizations dedicated to bat Bats, Caves & People in conservation throughout the ©dave waldien, BCi / 0044894 Cave habitats are crucial for countless bats around the Philippines. world, but underground roosts are scarcely studied in While the world’s largest colony of these bats survived the disaster Nigeria and rarely considered in land-management relatively unscathed, much of the Philippines was devastated and help plans. Iroro Tanshi of Nigeria’s University of Benin and is desperately needed. colleagues plan to study how varied cave microcli- “I feel so sorry for those who are suffering,” Monfort said. “And mates and the food availability in surrounding habitats I feel guilty as I sleep in my warm bed and eat when I am hungry.” influence bats’ roosting choices. The biologists will compare environmental conditions to the abundance of bats at 25 sandstone caves in eastern Nigeria. bci member snapshot Among results will be the country’s first reference li- brary of bat echolocation calls. During the study, they also plan a series of community outreach programs to his big brown bat educate local people about bats’ benefits and conser- Torphan is about to vation needs. Tanshi seeks a Global Grassroots Con- be released back into servation Fund grant of $2,500. nature after its rescue Shipping BCI Bat Trunks and rehab by Bonnie Miles, an BCI’s popular Bat Trunks provide teachers and volun- 11-year member teers with all they need for fun and informative bat- of BCI. Among education programs. The trunks are packed with other bat-conser- everything from our Discover Bats! multimedia kit) and vation activities, PowerPoint presentations to bat skeletons and guano Bonnie is a li-©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 8305403 (in its own magnifying cube). We provide these trunks censed bat re- free of charge for two full weeks. We must, however, habilitator ask these dedicated volunteers to pay $40 each for and recently received round-trip shipping. With your help, we hope to es- and cared for a number of tablish a fund to cover shipping for some of these orphaned big brown bat pups. teachers and volunteers who want to share their know ledge and appreciation of bats, but whose budg- ets are already stretched thin. Just $800 would help Share a snapshot of your bat activities: email it to [email protected] or give 20 bat enthusiasts the chance to spread the love to as many kids and/or adults as they can reach in mail to Snapshot, Bat Conservation International, PO Box 162603, two weeks. Austin, TX 78716.

BATS 20 wINTer 2013 Volume 31, No. 4 mAkinG A DiffErEncE Let This Be Your Legacy ©MiChael durhaM/Minden piCtures, BCi

Keep the Bats Flying By including Bat Conservation International in your estate plans, you’ll help keep bats in the skies, fulfilling essential roles to maintain healthy natural environments and human economies for generations to come. A bequest is a simple way to support BCI in the future while retaining control of your assets during your lifetime. We can be named as a beneficiary of your will, trust, retirement plan, life insurance policy or financial accounts. And thanks to you and others like you, bats will continue to enrich the world as pollinators, seed dispersers and hunters of insect pests. now that’s a legacy to be proud of. thank you!

©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 8141303

©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 7231204 ©Merlin d. tuttle, BCi / 8305403 For more information about making a bequest to BCI: 1-800-538-BATS (2287) email: [email protected]

Volume 31, No. 4 wINTer 2013 21 BATS NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 1530

P.O. Box 162603 Austin, TX 78716-2603 U.S.A.

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