49th Annual Symposium North American Society for Bat Research Kalamazoo, MI, USA October 23-26, 2019 Local Hosts Amy Russell & Maarten Vonhof Program Directors Gary Kwiecinski, Shahroukh Mistry, Riley Bernard, Luis Viquez-R. and Emma Willcox NASBR appreciates the support it receives from its sponsors. For information on sponsoring a future conference please contact the NASBR Board of Directors or visit www.nasbr.org Conference Sponsors Diamond Gold Bronze Supporter Contributor Student Award Sponsors Abstracts 49th Annual Symposium of the North American Society for Bat Research Kalamazoo. Michigan, USA October 23rd – 26th, 2019 Local Hosts: Amy Russell and Maarten Vonhoff NASBR Program Directors: Gary Kwiecinski, Shahroukh Mistry, Riley Bernard, Luis Viquez-R. and Emma Willcox Abstracts below for both platform and poster presentations are listed alphabetically by first author’s last name. Contact information for authors attending the 49th NASBR Symposium is listed in the printed Program. Bat Longevity is Predicted by Genome Methylation Rate Danielle M. Adams1, Josephine Reinhardt2, Steve Horvath3 and Gerald S. Wilkinson1 1 Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, USA; 2 Department of Biology, State University of New York, Geneseo, USA; 3 Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA Recorded lifespans of bats exceed other placental mammals of similar body size. Moreover, considerable variation in lifespan is present among bats with at least four lineages exhibiting extreme longevity. The underlying mechanisms of increased longevity are still unknown, but humans and other model species exhibit consistent age-related change in DNA methylation patterns across thousands of conserved sites. Using a custom microarray, we obtained methylation scores at more than 20,000 genomic sites from over 700 individuals of known age from 28 bat species representing six families. Using a machine-learning technique we derive a highly predictive relationship for estimating age in each species from a subset of these sites. We then use this relationship, or epigenetic clock, to estimate the age of unknown individuals as well as compare patterns of age-specific methylation acceleration and deceleration among species. We find that among species the rate of methylation change is significantly associated with maximum longevity, such that longer-lived species show slower rates of methylation change. In addition, using methylation data from six species with published genomes, we find that the majority of age-related methylation sites are near the transcription start sites of genes that are important for transcription regulation. We then further explore how the genomic regions with age-dependent methylation patterns vary among long and short-lived species. Improving Urban Habitats for Bats: What Makes a Bat-friendly Residential Swimming Pool? Elizabeth J. Agpalo and Victoria J. Bennett Department of Environmental Sciences, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, USA For urban environments to support an abundant and healthy bat community, resources for a diversity of species need to be readily available, including roosting sites, foraging opportunities, commuting routes, and water sources. For example, bats typically have been recorded using water sources in urban areas, such as drainage ditches, lakes, and ponds. However, in areas where temperatures are consistently high and rainfall limited, these sources tend to be ephemeral. During these periods, bats have been observed utilizing an alternative water source in the form of residential swimming pools. Thus, if such pools can be made more attractive to bats, this could be a strategy implemented to improve urban habitats. We, therefore, set out to determine what features, primarily size, shape (round or square), lighting, and treatment (chlorine, salt, mineral) encouraged bats to drink at pools. From June to September 2016 and 2019, we conducted behavioral surveys at 14 pools in suburban Fort Worth, Texas. Using thermal cameras and acoustic detectors, we recorded bat foraging and drinking activity. Our results to date demonstrated that while shape did not influence pool use, treatment type, lighting, and size did. For example, bats were observed drinking more readily at mineral pools. Pools with flood lights on all night were avoided entirely by bats, and all species (7 in total) were recorded at pools that exceeded 40 m2 in size. With this information, we can better advise interested residents in urban neighborhoods how to make their backyards more bat-friendly. Population Genetic Analysis of the Big Brown Bat in the Eastern United States Juan Pablo Aguilar Cabezas and Joseph S. Johnson Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, USA The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is an ideal species for population genetic analyses because it is widely distributed, is believed to have a partial migratory strategy, and appears to be minimally affected by white-nose syndrome (WNS). In this study, we estimated genetic diversity, population structure, population connectivity, and population size trends by analyzing the cyt-b gene from big brown bats sampled across seven states in the eastern United States. We found some genetic differentiation among populations and high haplotype diversity. Bayesian clustering using the program Structure and model- based-distance clustering revealed two subpopulations. A Bayesian skyline plot analysis showed a decline in populations of big brown bats over time. In addition, we found a signal of positive selection in the cyt-b gene, concordant with the hypothesis that OXPHOS genes are under selection in bats because of the importance of energy demand. Also, the haplotypes differed from the cyt-b gene deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology in six amino acid substitutions, such as a cysteine/glycine to alanine. These data show high dispersal and connectivity among big brown populations, although some regional clustering does occur, and that although the species is thought to suffer low mortality from WNS, populations have been declining for around 2,000 years with a recent acceleration in this process. Given the importance of bats as pollinators, seed dispersers, and plague controllers, these findings of positive selection and population contraction encourage additional investigation to identify the selective pressures and the extent of population decline using nuclear data. The Role of Temperature in Assemblage Structure of Overwintering Insectivorous Bats Brett R. Andersen1, Richard D. Stevens1,2 and Liam P. McGuire1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA; 2 Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA While community structure is typically considered to result from long-term ecological and evolutionary processes, behavior and physiology of temperate bats combined with variable environmental conditions can result in dynamic assemblages that vary from day to day. Overwintering insectivorous bat assemblages in temperate regions are one example, although the rules governing their structure are poorly understood. When faced with elevated thermoregulatory costs and reduced prey availability in winter, many bats opt to hibernate or migrate, but some populations, especially at southern latitudes, regularly fluctuate between using torpor and remaining active depending on environmental conditions\. This effectively removes or reintroduces species on a nightly basis resulting in a dynamic assemblage. In this study, we aim to understand the role of ambient temperature in determining bat activity based on species-specific thresholds. From December through March 2018 and 2019, we recorded bat activity at 72 sites in managed conifer forests of central Louisiana and eastern Texas. Over 1,568 detector nights of recording yielded approximately 37,000 bat passes representing all 12 species expected to occur in the region. Species richness was highly correlated with temperature and species-specific activity profiles were characterized by temperature thresholds. These results suggest that temperature significantly influences community 2 49th North American Symposium on Bat Research structure in overwintering bats potentially due to species-specific morphological, behavioral, or phylogenetic characteristics. Future research will investigate how temperature affects bats across a latitudinal gradient and how species characteristics and local adaptations combine to structure bat communities. Factors Influencing Bat Occupancy of Artificial Roost Boxes Michelle Arias1, Sarah Gignoux-Wolfsohn1, *Kathleen Kerwin2 and Brooke Maslo1,2 1 Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA; 2 Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA Provisioning bats evicted from manmade structures with artificial roost boxes is a common strategy for mitigating the negative impacts exclusions have on bats; however, formal assessment of the effectiveness of this practice is rare. Using data from two bat conservation programs in New Jersey (Rutgers University Wildlife Conservation and Management Program and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey), we explored factors significantly affecting occupancy rate of artificial roost boxes. We extracted from the dataset information on roost box occupancy, age (time since installation), placement (building, tree, or pole), and