Bat Projects in Parks: Great Basin National Park

Summary

Bat demographics, hibernacula, occupancy, and outreach in Great Basin National Park

PI: Bryan Hamilton

Using white-nose syndrome (WNS) funding, Great Basin National Park (GRBA) hired two bat biologists from Great Basin Institute (GBI). These biologists conducted roost surveys, WNS surveillance, mark recapture, mist netting, acoustic surveys, and education and outreach. Highlights of the project include the following:

• 43 surveys of 12 sites (9 caves, 3 mines)
• 295 roosting bats were tallied during during surveys and 9 sites surveyed with roosting bats. One PIT tagged female Townsend’s big-eared bat was found during these surveys that had moved 17 miles from her maternity roost in GRBA to her hibernaculum.
• PIT tagged 154 bats, recaptured 9 previously PIT tagged bats during mist netting
• Installed PIT tag arrays at 3 sites. These arrays allow PIT tagged bats to be “recaptured” remotely. When a bat enters or exits a roost, its PIT tag number and time-date signature are recorded. We're still working on the data management and work flow for managing these data.
• Conducted 14 mist net surveys at 7 sites
• Captured 194 individuals of 9 species during mist netting surveys
• Assisted Nevada Department of Wildlife and Christopher Newport University in banding 30,000 Tadarida brasiliensis at Rose Guano Cave
• 50+ acoustic deployments. These data will be uploaded to the IRMA website this fall.
• Screening and decon of ~30,000 visitors
• 4 citizen science bat trapping nights
• Trip to Rose Guano Cave to observe outflight of Tadarida brasiliensis
• 3 school outreach programs
• Assisted with the Nevada Bat Blitz
• Assisted at the Death Valley National Park bat blitz
• Park wildlife biologist and GBI interns attended CA survey techniques course. Initiated a working group for the Pacific West Region (PWR) attendees of the course.
• Coordinated with parks in the Mojave Inventory & Monitoring Network on bat proposals
• Built and installed 3 bat boxes with Baker Elementary School
• 4 patio talks and outreach at Lehman Caves Visitor Center
• Talks at Public Lands Day and Astronomy Festival