It was evident to us that the Dandy West Upper "Adit 4" was an significant source of summer 

 water for three species of bats in this arid landscape, as we saw several bats drinking from the 

 standing water visible beyond the portal. The presence of water may contribute to the abundance 

 of bat activity at this mine working, but it may be attractive to bats in summer for reasons other 

 than just access to water. The relatively extensive underground workings offer significant 

 roosting habitat, and this adit is a documented hibemaculum for Townsend's Big-eared Bat and 

 at least one species of Myotis (Madson and Hanson 1993). All evidence indicates that the Dandy 

 West "Adit 4" is important habitat for bats in this area of the Pryor Mountains. 



The Marie Mine is another extensive working of size and complexity comparable to the Dandy 

 "Adit 4" (Madson and Hanson 1993) that appears to provide important stable winter roosting 

 habitat for bats, even though summer activity was close to minimal during our field assessment. 

 No bats were found during the only winter inspection (Madson and Hanson 1993), but the 

 amount of disturbance caused by human visitation to this mine in September and October, after 

 bats in Montana normally enter hibemacula (Hendricks et al. 2000), may preclude bats from 

 using the mine as a hibernaculum. 



We can say little about cun'ent use by bats of the Lisbon "West" adit, because it is now locked in 

 relation to recent mining activity. Nevertheless, bats are capable of passing through the locked 

 gate and may still use the mine as a night roost in summer and a hibemaculum in winter. 

 Madson and Hanson (1993) found a Townsend's Big-eared Bat and at least one species of 

 Myotis hibernating in this working in March 1992, indicating it provided important bat habitat to 

 a limited number of individuals. Martinez (1995) documented moderate activity at the portal of 

 this mine in summer 1995. 



We documented limited bat activity at the Swamp Frog "Central 1 Adits", Robert's hicline, and 

 Dandy West "Adit 6", and found some sign of bat use at the "CM & M Pit" adit. Our 

 obsei"vations are similar to survey results by Martinez (1995) for the same workings, indicating 

 their use by bats is mostly for summer night roosts. All workings are susceptible to unauthorized 

 human intrusion. 



MANAGEMENT SUGGESTIONS 



Based on our summer 2001 assessments of these abandoned mines and limited infomiation from 

 previous surveys (Madson and Hanson 1993, Martinez 1995) we suggest the following; 



1 ) Install bat-friendly gates secure from vandalism on the Marie Adit and Dandy West Upper 

 "Adit 4." These two workings are the most extensive and complex and offer the widest 

 variety of bat roosting habitat in the collection of mines surveyed. Human visitation to these 

 sites appears to be a regular occurrence, and probably will increase with continued ATV 

 recreation in the Pryor Mountains. The Dandy "Adit 4" has a history of bat use at all seasons 

 and is a documented Townsend's Big-eared Bat hibemaculum, and the Marie has the 

 potential to be used in like manner if protected from unauthorized human intmsion. 



