Since 2004, my students and I have caught and examined 1441 individual bats representing 7 species from mist-net surveys in Grant County, WI. Across all years and sites, Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) was the most frequently captured bat (59.6% of all captures). We captured over 78% (n = 1106) of bats within the first 120 min after sunset. Based on the capture of lactating females, the following species raise young in southwest Wisconsin: Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown Bat), Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored Bat), Little Brown Bat, M. septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat), and L. cinereus (Hoary Bat). Secondary sexual dimorphism was most evident in Big Brown Bats and Eastern Red Bats. Trends at 1 primary research site for the 3 most commonly captured species showed that, from 2007 to 2017, there was no significant change in number of bats captured per mist-net-meter-hour for Big Brown Bats and Eastern Red Bats. In contrast, and coincident with the occurrence of white-nose syndrome in Wisconsin, there was a signicant decline in the number of Little Brown Bats captured per mist-net-meter-hour over that same time period. Monitoring of bat populations in southwest Wisconsin should continue.
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26 February 2019
Bats in Southwest Wisconsin During the Era of White-Nose Syndrome
Jeffrey J. Huebschman
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Northeastern Naturalist
Vol. 26 • No. 1
March 2019
Vol. 26 • No. 1
March 2019