ABSTRACT 



Bats of the Kootenai National Forest, Montana were surveyed with ultrasonic detectors during 

 145 detector-nights at 134 sites in July, August, and September 1995, supplementing similar 

 efforts in 1994 (54 sites total). Twenty sites were also sampled with mist nets. Many of the sites 

 surveyed were within 200 m of water (rivers, streams, beaver ponds, marshes), but less than 40% 

 of the sites were actually abutting wetland habitat. Most sites surveyed were in stands of mixed 

 conifers, and special effort was made to sample in old-growth and mature forest. Twelve mine 

 adits at six sites were also investigated for bat use. 



Bats were detected during 96 detector-nights at 93 sites in 1995, supplementing detections at 

 40 sites in 1994. Bats were more likely to be detected in old-growth and mature forest stands 

 than in "disturbed" (i.e., seed-tree cut, clearcut, and burned sites, of recent to pole-sapling stages) 

 stands in 1995. The pattern was similar for bat detector data from 1994 and 1995 combined. 

 Much of the pattern between the presence of bats and forest-stand structure was attributable to 

 Myotis sp.; the difference was not statistically significant for any identifiable bat species except 

 M. evotis, although all species were equally or more often detected in older, less-disturbed stands. 

 The presence and activity level of bats in riparian sites was about equal to that in old- 

 growth/mature forest stands. 



Eight bat species were identified in 1995: Myotis californicus, M. evotis, M. volans, M. 

 yumanensis, Lasionycteris noctivagans, Eptesicusfuscus, Lasiurus cinereus, and Corynorhiniis 

 (=Plecotus) townsendii. M. yumanensis was previously imdocumented for the Kootenai National 

 Forest. Most Myotis species cannot be distinguished from one another with bat detectors, the 

 survey tool most frequently used in 1995; unidentified Myotis were detected at 82 sites. As many 

 as six species (M. yumanensis, M. thysanodes, M. lucifugus, M. volans, M. californicus, and M 

 ciliolabrum) may have been present and included in this grouping. Field surveys with mist nets 

 (previously in 1993, and during the 1995 field season) revealed the presence of all but Myotis 

 thysanodes in the above group oi Myotis species on the Kootenai National Forest, and also 

 documented M. evotis and Lasionycteris noctivagans. Myotis sp., M. evotis, Lasionycteris 

 noctivagans and Eptesicus fuscus were detected on all six Districts of the Kootenai National 

 Forest in 1995. Five or six species were identified on all Districts in 1995 except the Fortine 

 District, with only three species. 



Combined results from the 1993, 1994 and 1995 surveys showed the presence often species 

 of vespertilionid bat on the Kootenai National Forest. Currently, all ten species have been 

 documented only on the Cabinet District, but six species (M evotis, M. lucifugus, Lasionycteris 

 noctivagans, Eptesicus fuscus, Lasiurus cinereus, Corynorhinus townsendii) have been detected 

 on all Forest Districts. 



Little is known about the reproductive activities of bats on the Kootenai National Forest, but 

 ten species (M yumanensis, M. lucifugus, M. evotis, M. volans, M. californicus, M. ciliolabrum, 

 Lasionycteris noctivagans, Eptesicusfuscus, Lasiurus borealis, and Corynorhinus townsendii) 

 may breed on Forest Service land. Overwinter occurrence and distribution of bats on the 

 Kootenai National Forest remain virtually unknown. 



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