Population dynamics and site fidelity of the cave bat,Myotis velifer, in Oklahoma

Abstract

We characterized population dynamics of nonmigratory cave bats, Myotis velifer, in Oklahoma by locating all 21 caves known to be occupied in an exhaustively searched, large study area, marking representative samples with numbered wing bands and conducting annual winter counts and recaptures over a decade. Bats moved readily among maternity caves during summer and among hibernating caves from winter to winter. The aggregate population of adults during lactation was about 13,600, including 10,500 females, of which 96% produced young. The aggregate population during winter was about 23,850 for the first 2 years of the study, declined to about 14,200 in the 3rd year, and recovered to > 20,000 for the last 4 years of the study. Mortality events and threats documented included flooding, subfreezing temperatures, and rock collapses in caves, as well as in-cave disturbance by humans, but the cause of the decline was not identified. We used capture—mark—recapture methods to estimate and model capture probability (...