Disturbance of hibernating bats due to researchers entering caves to conduct hibernacula surveys.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Nature Publishing Group Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101563288 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2045-2322 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20452322 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sci Rep Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: London : Nature Publishing Group, copyright 2011-
    • Subject Terms:
      Chiroptera*/physiology ; Caves* ; Hibernation*; Animals ; Flight, Animal/physiology
    • Abstract:
      Estimating population changes of bats is important for their conservation. Population estimates of hibernating bats are often calculated by researchers entering hibernacula to count bats; however, the disturbance caused by these surveys can cause bats to arouse unnaturally, fly, and lose body mass. We conducted 17 hibernacula surveys in 9 caves from 2013 to 2018 and used acoustic detectors to document cave-exiting bats the night following our surveys. We predicted that cave-exiting flights (i.e., bats flying out and then back into caves) of Townsend's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) and western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) would be higher the night following hibernacula surveys than on nights following no surveys. Those two species, however, did not fly out of caves more than predicted the night following 82% of surveys. Nonetheless, the activity of bats flying out of caves following surveys was related to a disturbance factor (i.e., number of researchers × total time in a cave). We produced a parsimonious model for predicting the probability of Townsend's big-eared bats flying out of caves as a function of disturbance factor and ambient temperature. That model can be used to help biologists plan for the number of researchers, and the length of time those individuals are in a cave to minimize disturbing bats.
      (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: Corynorhinus townsendii; Myotis ciliolabrum; Acoustic sampling; Hibernacula; Hibernacula surveys
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20240612 Date Completed: 20240612 Latest Revision: 20240615
    • Publication Date:
      20240615
    • Accession Number:
      PMC11169401
    • Accession Number:
      10.1038/s41598-024-64172-8
    • Accession Number:
      38866865