2016 Nevada Bat Blitz

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 16, No. 2, Winter 2016.

Rory Lamp (NDOW), Jen Newmark (NDOW), Kristin Szabo (Nevada Natural Heritage Project), and Julie Long (NPS, Great Basin) processing a bat in northern Grassy Canyon during the 2016 Nevada Bat Blitz.

Photo by Aaron Rutledge, BLM-Las Vegas District

By Jane Van Gunst, Nongame Biologist, Nevada Department of Wildlife

The Diversity Division of the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), along with other partners (including National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Friends of the High Rock-Black Rock, University of Nevada, Reno, and Humboldt State University), held the annual Nevada Bat Blitz in northwestern Washoe County, in and around the High Rock Wilderness area on August 8-12, 2016.

Sixteen sites were surveyed over four nights. Surveys used a combination of passive acoustic monitoring and active trapping with standard and triple high mist net arrays. Pettersson’s detectors were used to collect most acoustic data, along with Anabats deployed at two sites. Acoustic data analysis using Sonobat, Kaleidoscope, and Analook software is currently ongoing. Mist net arrays were deployed over a mix of both developed and natural waters and nearby meadow habitat.

Mike Myers (Friends of High Rock-Black Rock), Bryan Hamilton (NPS, Great Basin NP) and Ross Haley (NPS, Lake Mead NRA) setting up nets in High Rock Canyon.

Photo by Daniel James, BLM, Lassen-Applegate

Overall, 11 species of bats were captured and more may be detected once acoustic samples are fully analyzed. The long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) was common across the survey area with lesser numbers of the long-legged myotis (Myotis volans), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Townsend’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), and western pipistrelle or canyon bat (Parastrellus hesperus) captured at sites around the High Rock region. Sites within High Rock Canyon were among the most diverse of the study area. Western pipistrelle bats and pallid bats were captured only in this wilderness area and preliminary analysis of acoustic data shows a relatively high index of activity by spotted bats (Euderma maculatum) in this area.

The Nevada Bat Blitz is sponsored every year by NDOW and partnering agencies to gain a better understanding of local or regional bat populations via area inventories or targeted research projects. Close to 40 participants helped to make this effort a success in conducting the first bat surveys of this region. In particular, we thank National Park Service biologists for deploying acoustic detectors and analyzing acoustic data; and BLM, Lassen-Applegate District, and Friends of High Rock-Black Rock for immense help in providing logistical support and equipment.