U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services Historic document – Content may not reflect current scientific research, policies or practices. RP-72 BATS AND BAT BANDI i UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife BATS AND BAT BANDING By Anhur M. Greenhall and John L. Paradiso Bird and MammJII Laborotories Dfrision of Wildlife Research Bureau of Spon Fisheries and Wildlife Resource Publication 72 Washington, D.C. • July 1968 For sale by the Superlntendont of Documents, U.S. Oovornment Printing Offico Wasbl111ton, D.C. 20Wl ·Price 60 cents PREFACE Unique among mammals because they can fly, bats have excited the interest of man from ancient times. Secretive and nocturnal, they are surrounded by mystery, and it is not surprising that they are the sub­ ject of a rich folklore and p f myths and old wives' tales. Comprising an amazing number of species, almost worldwide in distribution, and displaying a wide range of habits, they are of great biological interest. Some are an economic liability to man--damaging crops, injuring livestock, and being a nuisance in houses. Many, though, are valuable as destroyers of noxious insects, and the guano produced by some species ls valuable as fertilizer. With the discovery in recent years of the role of bats as carriers of disease, there has been a renewed interest in research on them, financed in part by Federal and State public health agencies. A most productive method of studying bats in the wild has been by banding them for later recognition--the same technique as employed for birds, but with modifications. Since 1932, bat banding in North America has been coordinated by the U. s. Bureau of Biological Survey and its successor the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in the Department of the Interior. This activity of the Bureau is centered at the Bird and Mammal Laboratories in the U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. c., where bands are issued and permanent records maintained. Since the pro­ gram began, nearly a million and a half numbered metal bands have been affixed to bats of various species. This work ls done by cooperating scientists, their students, and colleagues. These banding studies have disclosed many facts, such as the distances bats may travel, their seasonal migrations, hibernating habits, homing abilities, longevity, mortality rates, and reproductive behavior. There is still much to be learned. The success of the banding program depends on two things: First, if the resulting data are to be useful, banding procedures must be standardized so far as possible; second, interest of the general public must be stimu­ lated, since it ls this group that can provide a great number of band returns that would otherwise go unreported. This publication was prepared to do these two things, and we sollcitthe cooperation of all concerned in promot­ ing the program to learn more about this interesting group of mammals. ii CONTENTS Page Preface ••• ii Introduction. • 1 History of bat banding. 1 In the United States • 1 In other countries 4 Locating bat roosts. 6 By sight•• . .. ..... 6 By odor. 6 By sound. 6 Daytime roosts •• 6 Possible roosting sites. 8 Collecting methods •• 8 Collecting by hand •• 8 Forceps ••• 8 Hand nets••• 10 Tennis rackets 11 Brush • •••• • 11 Fishing rods. 11 Fowling nets•• 11 Burrs ..... 11 Large nets ••• 12 Traps for cave bats. 12 Traps and nets for house bats • 13 Chemicals ••••• • ••• • • 15 Miscellaneous techniques • 15 Capturing bats with mist nets 15 Equipment. 15 Rigging•••• 16 Operation •• 18 Maintenance ••••• 18 Net sites••• 19 Holding cages 20 Hitchcock cage • 20 Myers cage • • • 20 Mumford cage. 20 Bell cage •••• 20 Davis cage ••• 20 Hamilton-Smith cage • 21 Banding techniques ••• . .. 21 Preparation of bands 21 Preparation of bats • 21 Closing bands ••• 22 Removing bands ....... 22 General techniques 22 ill Page Possible injuries to bats. 23 Health hazards. 23 Rabies, •••• 24 Histoplasmosis .• 24 Securing data•.•• 24 Population size • 25 Age• •••• • ••••• 25 Sex and breeding data. 25 Recording data. 25 Band number 25 Species 26 Date • • 26 Locality. 26 Sex ••• 26 Bander 26 Other information. 26 Supplementary information for handers 26 Recoveries • ••••••••••• 26 Preservation of specimens 29 Study skin and skull • •••• 29 Fluid-preserved specimen 29 Cooperation of the public • 29 Selected bibliography •••• • •• 31 Appendix A--Checklist of North American bats • 34 Emballonuridae • 34 Noctilionidae • , . .. .. ...... ....... 35 Phyllostomidae • • •••• 35 Desmodidae. 39 Natalidae • • 40 Furipteridae • 40 Thyropteridae 40 Ves pertilionidae. , • 40 Molossidae • • • • 43 Appendix B--Glossary of terms 45 Appendix C--Special equipment•• 47 iv BA TS AND BAT BANDING Bats are a part of our living environment, use in bat studies. It maintains the records and they have a significant effect on man's and correspondence for the program. Through comfort and economic welfare. Some of their its Bat-Banding Office at the U. S. National activities are beneficial; others are det­ Museum it acts as a central clearing agency rimental. for all handers. On the beneficial side, individual bats con­ With the increased interest in bats and the sume enormous numbers of insects. Con­ banding program in recent years, the Bureau's sidering the thousands and sometimes millions staff considered it desirable to produce this of insectivorous bats that concentrate in caves manual to insure uniformity in banding proce­ in North America, it seems likely that they dures and record keeping. The manual is help limit insect abundance. Certain bats intended for both the experienced bander and in tropical America appear to be useful in the novice. pollinating plants and in disseminating seeds. It should be pointed out that bat banding On the negative side, some species of bats is costly in time and money, and we urge are implicated in the spread of diseases like all persons who find banded bats not to rabies and histoplasmosis. Since 1953, when destroy them indiscriminately. The band num­ the first rabid bat was reported in the United bers should be noted and reported to the Bat­ States, rabid bats have been found in nearly Banding Office, Bird and Mammal Labora­ every State. In parts of tropical America the tories, U. s. National Museum, Washington, vampire bat (Oesmodus rotundus) may deci­ D. c. 20560, but the bat should be released mate livestock through its blood-feeding habits. unharmed for continued study. Also in tropical America certain species of The American Society of Mammalogists fruit bats consume or destroy large quan­ has endorsed bat-banding by a resolution at tities of fruit. In addition, bats are often nui­ its annual meeting in 1964. sances when they roost in houses and other buildings, sometimes by the thousands, soiling walls and floors with their droppings. In fact, HISTORY OF BAT BANDING in many areas they may pose a severe public health and agricultural problem. Yet, despite In the United the fact that ~ats are so important to us, it is States surprising how little is known of the habits, life Bat banding was a natural outgrowth of history, and ecology of most species. bird banding. On 24 June 1916, Arthur A. Allen, Although there have been persons in­ ornithologist at Cornell University, at~ached terested in studying bats by tagging methods four numbered aluminum bands of the American since early in this century, it is only within Bird Banding Association to the legs of four the past 10 to 15 years that bat banding in female pipistrelles roosting on the porch of North America has reached sizable pro­ a home in Ithaca, N. Y. This apparently was portions. The bat-banding program has already the first time bats were banded in North yielded valuable information; much more will America. Three yea rs later, Allen (19 21) found be forthcoming. three of the four bats he had banded in 1916 Since the mid-l 930's the Bureau of Sport again roosting on the same porch. Commenting Fisheries and Wildlife and its predecessor on this, he said: "This curious incident of agencies have been involved in this program. the same three . •. bats, staying together or The Bureau has supplied free to qualified returning to each other after three years had handers more than 1 1 / 2 million bands for elapsed, reminded me of how little we know 2 HISTORY OF BAT BANDING of their habits. " In addition, he noted: "The sion within the Bureau as to the feasibillty of valuable results that are now being obtained becoming involved in bat banding. After all by banding birds could no doubt be duplicated pros and cons were thoroughly discussed, it with bats if only enough persons would coop­ was agreed that so little was known of the life erate in the project of banding." history, migration, longevity, and economic A. B. Howell banded four bats in California status of bats that it would be advisable to in 1922, and Luther Little banded 37 there cooperate as fully as possible in bat-banding in 1923. In 1929, Harold Wood used two bird efforts. It was felt that since the Bureau was bands on bats in Pennsylvania and looked upon as the authority on North American H. B. Sherman banded 76 Florida bats. It mammal life cooperation in bat studies was was not until 1932, however, that Donald R. a legitimate project for the Bureau. Griffin in New England and Earl L. Pooie and The bat-banding program increased in Charles E. Mohr in Pennsylvania began band­ numbers of handers and bats banded, and the ing activities that were to become the first program expanded into other States. In Septem­ sustained endeavors in bat banding in America.