area. The area ranges in elevation from approximately 1100 m to 

 over 2600 m, and encompasses approximately 500 square km. Nine 

 terrestrial ecosystems have been described in the Pryor Mountains 

 (South, 1980; Table 2), ranging from low elevation red desert 

 salt shrub to subalpine plateau found at higher elevations. 

 Vegetative and ecological descriptions in this report are based 

 upon those descriptions. 



TABLE 2. — Terrestrial Ecosystems of the Pryor Mountains 



Subalpine Plateau 

 Subalpine Forest and Meadow 

 Douglas Fir 

 Rock Outcrop 

 Mountain Grassland 

 Streamside Hardwood 

 Utah Juniper-Blacksage 

 Sagebrush-Grasslands 

 Red Desert Salt Shrub 



METHODS 



Bats are most successfully captured over calm water sources (Kunz 

 and Kurta, 1988; von Frenckell and Barclay, 1987), especially 

 over ponds or near the entrance of caves or mines used as 

 roosting sites (Griffith and Gates, 1985) . Water sources, caves, 

 and mines were identified and located using US Geological Service 

 (USGS) topographic maps, ground searches and "Caves of Montana" 

 (Cambell, 1978). Most of these sites were chosen on the basis of 

 preliminary work conducted in 1989 (Worthington and Ross, 1990) . 

 Bats were captured at water sources and caves using one or more 

 36 mm mesh mist nets 5.5, 9, or 13 m long. Additionally, a 

 Tuttle trap (Tuttle, 1974; Kunz and Kurta, 1988) was frequently 

 employed at the caves. Since bats may become more effective in 

 avoiding nets on subsequent nights of trapping (Kunz, 1973; 

 Laval, 1970; Kunz and Kurta, 1988), an attempt was made to avoid 

 netting at the same site on two or more successive nights. Mist 

 nets and/or the Tuttle trap were deployed shortly after sunset 

 when bat activity commenced, and were either dismantled three to 

 four hours later or left deployed through the night until dawn. 

 Mist nets and/or the Tuttle trap were used at nine sites (Fig.l). 

 Of these, four caves and two water sources were netted at least 

 seven times each, with generally at least four days elapsing 

 between visits. All captured bats were identified to species, 

 and sex was determined by examination of external genitalia. 

 Reproductive condition was assessed by external examination of 

 the testes in males and visual examination of the mammary glands 

 in females, although pregnancy was not determined (Racey, 1988) . 



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