Status of Bats (Chiroptera) in 2013 Banff National Park Alberta, Canada Myotis lucifugus photo G. Horne Contract Number BFU2013-1082 Prepared by Greg Horne for Jesse Whittington, Carnivore Specialist for Banff National Park March 31, 2013 Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 1! 2.0 Basic Bat Biology and Life Cycle ............................................................................... 1! 2.1 Biology ...................................................................................................................... 2! 2.2 Bat Life Cycle ........................................................................................................... 2! 3.0 Bats Species in Alberta ............................................................................................... 3! 4.0 Federal and Provincial Status of Bats that occur in Banff National Park ............ 4! 4.1 Alberta Status ............................................................................................................ 4! 4.2 Federal Status ............................................................................................................ 6! 4.2.1 Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) ....... 6! 4.2.2 Species at Risk Act (SARA) .............................................................................. 7! 4.2.2.1 Species Listing Process Under SARA ............................................................ 7! 5.0 Threats to Bats ............................................................................................................ 8! 5.1 Predators ................................................................................................................... 8! 5.1.1 Native Predators ................................................................................................. 8! 5.1.2 Non-native Predators ......................................................................................... 9! 5.2 Parasites .................................................................................................................... 9! 5.3 Rabies ........................................................................................................................ 9! 5.4 Being Young and Inexperienced ............................................................................. 10! 5.5 Humans ................................................................................................................... 10! 5.5.1 Wind Turbines ................................................................................................. 10! 5.5.2 Climate change................................................................................................. 11! 5.5.3 White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) ........................................................................ 11! 5.5.3.1 Known Geographic Range of White-Nose Syndrome in North America ............. 12! 5.5.3.2 White-Nose Syndrome and the Canadian Wildlife Directors Committee ............. 13! 5.5.3.3 White Nose Syndrome Decontamination Protocols .............................................. 15! 6.0 Bats in Banff National Park ..................................................................................... 16! 6.1 Previous Research ................................................................................................... 16! 6.1.1 Banff ................................................................................................................ 16! 6.1.2 Kananaskis Country ......................................................................................... 16! 6.1.3 Kootenay National Park ................................................................................... 17! 6.2 Bat species occurring in Banff National Park ......................................................... 18! 6.2.1 Notes on Some Mammals of the Canadian Rockies ........................................ 19! 6.2.2 Mammals of the Eastern Rockies and Western Plains of Canada ................... 19! 6.2.3 The Mammals of Banff National Park, Alberta ............................................... 20! 6.2.4 The Mammals of Alberta ................................................................................. 21! 6.2.5 The Mammals of Canada ................................................................................. 21! 6.2.6 The Ecological (Biophysical) Land Classification of Banff and Jasper National Parks, Volume III – Wildlife Inventory .................................................................... 22! by G.L. Holroyd and K.J. Van Tighem, 1983. Canadian Wildlife Service, Edmonton, Alberta, pp 279-285................................................................................ 22! 6.2.7 Handbook of Canadian Mammals Volume 2 - Bats ........................................ 24! 6.2.8 Alberta Mammals An Atlas and Guide ............................................................ 24! 6.2.9 Bats of British Columbia ................................................................................. 25! 6.2.10 Banff National Park of Canada Official Website .......................................... 25! i 6.2.12 Bat Specimens from Banff Held in Museum Collections .............................. 25! 6.2.13 Media Requests About Bats ........................................................................... 26! 7.1 Hibernacula ............................................................................................................. 26! 7.1.1 Caves ................................................................................................................ 26! 7.1.2 Mines................................................................................................................ 28! 7.2 Summer Bat Roosting Sites .................................................................................... 29! 7.2.1 Buildings .......................................................................................................... 29! 7.2.1.1 Potential Bat Habitat in Specific Banff Structures ................................................ 30! 7.2.2 Bridges ............................................................................................................. 30! 7.2.3 Trees and Rocks ....................................................................................................... 31! 8.0 Resource Management Issues .................................................................................. 31! 8.1 Risks of Disease Transmission by People to Bats .................................................. 31! 8.2 Risks of Disturbance by People of Bats .................................................................. 32! 8.3 Risks to Humans from Bats .................................................................................... 32! 8.3.1 Rabies ............................................................................................................... 32! 8.3.2 Histoplasmosis ................................................................................................. 33! 9.0 Monitoring Approaches & Techniques ................................................................... 33! 9.1 Potential Monitoring for Species Presence/Absence and Relative Abundance ...... 33! 9.2 Capture .................................................................................................................... 34! 9.3 Radio Telemetry...................................................................................................... 35! 9.4 Acoustic Monitoring ............................................................................................... 36! 9.5 Examples of Bat Surveys Completed in National Parks of Alberta ....................... 36! 9.5.1 Waterton Lakes National Park ......................................................................... 36! 9.5.2 Elk Island National Park .................................................................................. 37! 9.6 Bat Research in Other Western/Northern National Parks ................................... 38! 10.0 Knowledge Gaps and Recommended Next Steps ................................................. 38! 10.1 Suggested Research Priorities for Bats in Alberta ................................................ 40! 10.2 Membership and Participation in Bat Management Working Groups .................. 41! 10.2.1 Alberta Bat Action Team (ABAT) ................................................................ 41! 10.2.2 ABAT and the Western Canada Bat Network ............................................... 41! 10.2.3 Western Bat Working Group (WBWG) ........................................................ 41! 11.0 References ................................................................................................................ 42! ii Appendices Appendix 1. Bat Species Found in Canada! Appendix 2. Description of Bats Found in Alberta! Appendix 3. COSEWIC Assessments! Appendix 4. A Workshop of the Canadian Wildlife Directors Committee & Canada’s White Nose Syndrome Management Plan – Priority Actions for Implementation in 2013! Appendix 5. Handbook of Inventory Methods and Standard Protocols for Surveying Bats in Alberta! Appendix 6. Bats in American Bridges! iii 1.0 Executive Summary Detailed specific information about bats of Banff National Park is scarce to nonexistent. There have been no in-depth studies or research on bats of this park. By conducting a detailed literature review six species