| Virginia
Journal of Science.
2005. Vol 56 (2) : 93-106 |
| Bats
Of Skydusky Hollow, Bland County, Virginia Virgil Brack, Jr., Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc. ,781 Neeb Road, Cincinnati, OH 45233, Richard J. Reynolds, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, P.O. Box 996, Verona, VA 24482, Wil Orndorff, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 6245 University Park Drive, Suite B, Radford, VA 24141, Joe Zokaites, 2281 Lubna Dr., Christiansburg, VA 24073, Carol Zokaites, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 6245 University Park Drive, Suite B, Radford, VA 24141 ABSTRACT
During the period 22 November 1999 – 11 October 2001, winter
hibernacula surveys, spring staging/autumn swarming surveys, and summer
surveys for bats were completed in caves of Skydusky Hollow, Bland
County, Virginia. During winter, 12 caves were entered and 16,185
bats counted: 235 Myotis sodalis (Indiana bat), 14,475 Myotis
lucifugus (little brown myotis), 12 Myotis septentrionalis (northern
myotis), 7 Myotis leibii (eastern small-footed myotis), 1,441
Pipistrellus subflavus (eastern pipistrelle), and 15 Eptesicus fuscus
(big brown bat). Myotis sodalis hibernated in thermally stable
areas of 7 -9 ̊C. The largest concentration of M. lucifugus (n =
4,280) hibernated in an area that was cooler (6.5 ̊C) than areas used
by
M. sodalis. The remaining 6,300 M. lucifugus hibernated at
temperatures similar to, or slightly cooler than, temperatures used by
M. sodalis. Intra-cave (and possibly inter-cave) movements of M.
lucifugus and M. sodalis during the season of hibernation concentrated
bats in cooler areas of the caves. An unusually large
concentration of P. subflavus (n = 920) hibernated in Coon Cave in a
warm (8.6 – 9.7 ̊C, stable environment. Proportions of species of
bats captured during spring staging and autumn swarming varied from
proportions found during winter hibernation. Mating and perhaps
other social functions affect patterns of autumn use. No
concentration of bats used the caves during summer. |