Missouri Bats
Dr. Lynn Robbins
lynnrobbins@missouristate.edu
Our initial objective was to investigate the possibility of accurately identifying free flying bats. using Anabat II bat detectors. Since 1995 my students and I have made extensive use of the system. Our first priority was to familiarize ourselves with echolocation calls of the different species in our area. To achieve this we have been assembling a library of call sequences from bats of known identity. This library has been built from mainly from recordings of bats that were initially captured in mist nets or harp traps and visually identified to species. After identification the bats were light tagged and released in likely foraging areas. Our library contains calls recorded from these free flying bats, and from bats foraging at dusk or leaving a single species roost. By analyzing these known identity calls with the program Analook, we have been able to quantitatively identify bats by their echolocation call structure. We are now using this ability to study different aspects of bat behavior and ecology.
In 2003-2005 we continued our work on winter and summer roosting ecology of Red and Evening bats in the Drury/Mincy Wildlife Area in Taney County where we have the Missouri State field station. Radio tagged red bats roost under the leaf litter during subfreezing weather, and emerge on a subsequent warm evenings to forage. If temperatures stay above freezing, they roost in persistent leaves on the lower branches of oak trees. The evening bats continued to use tree cavities throughout this period, and throughout the following summer. We are attempting to answer the questions dealing with these bats’ ability to survive the extreme temperatures and changes of temperatures that they will experience in this area. Field studies and captive studies are being carried out at this time. Justin Boyles finished his thesis comparing summer and winter roosts of evening bats and Brad Mormann finished his thesis on the winter ecology of red bats and his data indicate that both tree and leaf litter roosts are significantly different from random. Josh Flinn completed his first year of research on the red bats at Peck Ranch and is now mid-way through his second year. His focus is on the micro-habitat selection including weather related variables. Red bats are commonly seen exiting leaf litter and tree roosts during prescribed fires and Anna Scesny finished her laboratory research into the responses of torpid red bats to smoke and/or the sound of fire. Jason Layne is continuing this line of research in the field. As part of the red bat study, we have been capturing silver-haired bats during the winter and have been tracking them to large deciduous trees. We will continue to study this species is we capture more this next field season (November-February).
One area that we are continuing to study is the winter range of red bats. Because many forest managers and individuals using fire as a management tool observe red bats as they escape from the area, or those who spend time out doors observing nature during the winter months may have seen red bats foraging on warm winter evenings, I am asking for your in reporting any sightings. If you have seen any winter bats (not in caves)? Click here to complete a survey about what you saw. Complete the survey one of two ways. 1) Save the Microsoft Word document to your computer, answer questions, and e-mail completed survey back to me (use e-mail address at top of page) OR 2) print the Microsoft Word document and mail to address at bottom of survey.
Finished in December, 2004
Matthew Miller "Activity and Foraging in three species of Myotis in NE Missouri"
Finished in May, 2004
Justin Boyles "Summer and Winter Roosting Ecology of the Evening Bat"
Finished in May, 2004
Nate Nelson "Systematics and Ecology of the Eurycea griseogaster complex"
Brad Mormann "Winter Roosting Ecology of the Red Bats in Southwest
Finished in August, 2005
Anna Scesny "The Responses to fire by Torpid Eastern Red Bats "
Josh Flinn "Behavioral Responses of Roosting Red Bats to Winter Conditions"
Jason Layne "Field Studies on the Response of Red Bats to Prescribed Fires"
2001-2007
Murray, K. L., E. R. Britzke, and L. W. Robbins. 2001. Variation in Search
Phase Calls of Bats. J. Mammalogy, 82:728-737.
Britzke, E. R., and L. W. Robbins. 2002. Distribution of the Eastern Woodrat,
Neotoma floridana, in Missouri. The Southwestern Naturalist, 47:125-127.
Britzke, E. R., K. L. Murray, J. E. Heywood, and L.
W. Robbins. 2002. Acoustic
Identification. In The Indiana Bat: Biology and Management of an
Endangered
Species (Kurta and Kennedy, eds) Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX
Boyles, J.G., J.C. Timpone, and L.W. Robbins. 2003. Winter Records and Notes on
the Roosting Ecology of Red Bats and Evening Bats in Missouri. Bat
Research News, 44:59-61.
Mormann, B., M. Milam, and L. Robbins. 2004. Hibernation: Red Bats Do It In The
Dirt. "Bats", the publication of Bat Conservation International.22(2):6-9.
Boyles, J.G., B. Mormann, J.C. Timpone, and L.W. Robbins. 2005. Use of a
Subterranean Winter Roost by a Male Evening Bat. Southeastern
Naturalist, 4(2):375-377.
Boyles, J.G. and L.W. Robbins. 2006. Characteristics of Summer and Winter
Roost Trees of Evening Bats (Nycticeius humeralis) in Southwester
Missouri. American Midland Naturalist, 155:210-220.
Davis, C.R., F.B. Stangl, Jr., and L.W. Robbins. 2006. Mammals of Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas: A 60-Year Follow-up to Brumwell (1951).
The Prairie Naturalist, 37(2):101-116.
Timpone, J.C., J.G. Boyles, and L.W. Robbins. 2006. Potential for niche-overlap
in roosting sites between evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) and
big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). Northeastern Naturalist.
13:597 602
Mormann, B., and L.W. Robbins. 2007. Winter Roosting Ecology of
Eastern Red Bats in Southwest Missouri. Journal of Wildlife Management.
Dunbar, M.B., J.O. Whitaker ,Jr.,
and L.W. Robbins. In Press. Winter Feeding by
Bats in Southwestern Missouri. Acta Chiropterologica.
Brack, V., Jr., C.R. Davis, and L.W. Robbins. In Press. Bats of
Fort Leavenworth
Military Reservation and Nearby Ares of Eastern Kansas and Western
Missouri. Kansas Academy of Science
Robbins, L.W.
Distribution and Abundance of Small Mammals on Managed and
Unmanaged
Lands at Lake Stockton. Three-year
report to U.S. Corps of
Engineers.
Prairie
State Park. Three-year
report to Missouri Department of Natural
Resources
This page was last updated on 02/07/07.