\ I^DA United States 

 yjOVJh\ Department of 

 Agriculture 



Forest Service 



Northeastern 

 Research Station 



Research Note NE-376 



Illustrated Key to Skins and Skulls 

 of Bats In the Southeastern and 

 Mid-Atlantic States 



Michael A. Menzel 

 Jennifer M. Menzel 

 Steven B. Castleberry 

 James Ozier 

 W. Mark Ford 

 John W. Edwards 







U 



Abstract 



In teaching students and technicians how to identify the 

 skins and skulls of southeastern bats in the field and 

 laboratory, it was necessary to develop an illustrated key 

 that makes identification both easy and reliable. Many of 

 the existing keys are poorly illustrated, include bat 

 species that are not applicable, and/or contain univariate 

 discriminatory measurements that can result in 

 inaccurate identifications. We constructed a key that 

 allows users to easily and accurately identify the skin and 

 skulls of 17 bat species that inhabit the Southeastern and 

 Mid-Atlantic regions (north of central Florida and east of 

 the Mississippi River). 



MICHAEL A. MENZEL is a wildlife biologist with 

 West Virginia University's Division of Forestry; 

 JENNIFER M. MENZEL is a research wildlife biologist 

 with the USDA Forest Service's Northeastern Research 

 Station; STEVEN B. CASTLEBERRY is a wildlife 

 biologist and assistant professor with the University of 

 Georgia's D. B. Warnell School of Forest Resources; 

 JAMES OZIER is a wildlife biologist with the Georgia 

 Department of Natural Resources; W. MARK FORD is 

 a research wildlife biologist with the Northeastern 

 Research Station; JOHN W. EDWARDS is a wildlife 

 biologist and assistant professor with West Virginia 

 University's Division of Forestry. 



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