A Survey of Bats at Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station, Letcher County, Kentucky, before the Arrival of White-nosed Syndrome

Abstract

Bat species associated with the Lilley Cornett Woods Appalachian Ecological Research Station (LCW) were documented over two field seasons. Mist netting was conducted during July 2009 [13 net nights], whereas acoustical monitoring was conducted from May–August 2010, with sampling occurring continuously for 85 nights. A total of 26 individuals, representing 5 species were captured: little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus; n = 11), tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus; n = 6), northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis; n = 6), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus; n = 2), hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus; n = 1). There were 34,425 identified echolocation passes identifying 9 different bat species, i.e., tricolored bat, little brown bat, northern long-eared bat, big brown bat, Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), gray bat (Myotis grisescens), eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii), and evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis)]. Multiple species detected at LCW have been classified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as endangered (Indiana bat and gray bat) and threatened (northern long-eared bat). Since it was first detected, WNS has spread rapidly across North America and is associated with host mortality of >90%. We strongly recommend the Chiropteran community at LCW be resurveyed to assess the impacts of WNS, and that a passive acoustical monitoring program be developed and integrated into the area's long-term management plan.