Population Characteristics of Big Brown Bat and Arizona Myotis Using Artificial Roosting Structures in Northern Arizona

Abstract

Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and a close relative of Arizona myotis (Myotis occultus), the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) in the eastern United States, are among those species experiencing unprecedented population declines related to white-nose syndrome (WNS). Determining population characteristic baselines for big brown bat and Arizona myotis is paramount in detecting population declines before they reach critical levels. We targeted 2 bat species strongly associated with ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona. Big brown bats and Arizona myotis readily utilize human-made structures and have a cosmopolitan distribution across the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) ecosystem of northern Arizona (Adams 2003). Between 2005 and 2012 we installed artificial bat roosts at Camp Navajo near Flagstaff, Arizona. We captured bats at these roosting structures and marked them using modified bird bands. We established baseline population characteristics on Camp Navajo by utilizing a 7-year mark-and-recapture data set. We also provide a measure of population status that may be compared across temporal scales within the study area. In essence, this study provides the basis for an early warning system for WNS in Arizona.