Bats of Texas

Appendix 1: Recommended Reading

176 family vespertilionidae cally born from late May to mid-June, although a pregnant female has been captured on July 8 in Missouri (Bain and Humphrey 1986; Saugey et al. 1988; Saugey et al. 1989; Watkins 1969; Watkins and Shump 1981). In Presidio County, Texas, a juvenile female was captured on April 20. This suggests a very early parturition date (late March/early April) for this individual, as young bats do not become volant until about 20 days of age (Dowler et al. 1999). The young are born pink and hairless and weigh approximately 2.25 g (Saugey et al. 1989; Watkins 1972). Females have been known to carry their young while feeding in captivity; in the wild it appears that they carry their young only when moving to a new roost (Gates 1941). Communal nursing of young has been documented in this species in a nursery colony occupying an attic in northern Missouri. Females nurse their own young during the first 2 weeks subsequent to birth, after which time about 20% of nursing periods are between females and nondescendant pups (Watkins and Shump 1981; Wilkinson 1992b). The young reach adult size at about 1 month of age. Known predators of evening bats include black rat snakes, Long-eared Owls, raccoons, and domestic and feral cats (Cahn and Kemp 1930; Sparks et al. 2003; Watkins 1972). Of 221 evening bats reported to the DSHS between 1984 and 1987, 6 tested positive for rabies. Between 1996 and 2000, 410 additional evening bats were submitted, and only 3 were positive. That corresponds to an overall infection rate of 1.4%. and its relatives in areas where corn and cotton are grown. In addition to cornfields, evening bats frequently forage in open marshy areas, along the edges of forests, above the canopy , and around and below the crowns of trees in less cluttered habitats, such as pine savannah (Bowles et al. 1996; Clem 1993; Cochran 1999; Duchamp et al. 2004; Ford et al. 2006a; Menzel et al. 2005). In South Carolina and Georgia, they forage primarily in pine forests (Carter et al. 2004; Krishon et al. 1997). Demonstrating some foraging-site fidelity, they return to productive spots on consecutive nights at a site outside of Indianapolis, Indiana (Duchamp et al. 2004). Their home range is relatively small in Georgia (15.11 hectares; Krishon et al. 1997), and in Indiana they forage less than 2.75 km from their roost (Clem 1993). Copulation is thought to take place in the fall (Watkins 1972), although Nycticeius has been observed copulating during winter months in Florida (Bain and Humphrey 1986). Scrotal males with mature sperm in their epididymides have been reported as early as June in Florida; interestingly, these also were young of the year (Bain and Humphrey 1986). Early sexual maturity of males also has been reported in Arkansas, where scrotal males have been taken in August (Saugey et al. 1988). Adult males are rarely encountered in nursery colonies (Humphrey and Cope 1970). One to 3 offspring are born to each female, with an average of 2 (Bain and Humphrey 1986; Watkins 1969; Watkins and Shump 1981). Young are typi- spotted bat 177 Subspecies. Euderma maculatum (J. A. Allen, 1891) is monotypic, and no subspecies are recognized. Some geographic variation in size has been documented across its range, although this was based on a relatively small (67) sample size. Individuals were largest in the southern part of their range and smallest in the west (Best 1988). Description. This is a relatively large (forearm = 44–55 mm), strikingly distinctive bat. It has jet black fur dorsally with a conspicuous white spot present on each shoulder and on the rump. Also, a patch of white fur is located at the base of each ear. The ears are huge—longer than in any other North American bat. Membranes of ears, wings, and tail in living specimens are uniquely pinkishred . Spotted bats are strong, swift fliers and may be recognized at night by their distinctive, high-pitched calls (Easterla 1973). Dental formula: I 2/3, C 1/1, Pm 2/2, M 3/3 × 2 = 34. Average external measurements are as follows: total length, 118 mm; tail, 50 mm; hind foot, 11 mm; ear, 43 mm; forearm, 51 mm. Weight: 15 g. Distribution. This species occurs in semiarid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico, north to British Columbia, Canada, and east to southcentral Montana. In spite of a fairly wide range in the United States, E...