Bats of Texas

Epilogue

172 family vespertilionidae and tail membranes are dark and leathery in texture, as are the ears. The calcar is not keeled, and juvenile specimens are darker than adults. Nycticeius humeralis resembles many species of Myotis but may easily be distinguished by its short, blunt tragus—as opposed to the long and sharp-pointed tragus of myotises. Dental formula: I 1/3, C 1/1, Pm 1/2, M 3/3 × 2 = 30. As with many vespertilionids, females are slightly larger than males. Average external measurements are as follows : total length, 87 mm; tail, 32 mm; hind foot, 8 mm; ear, 12 mm; forearm, 35 mm. Weight: 5–10 g. They can weigh up to 15 g in the fall, when fat deposition is at its maximum. Distribution. This species occurs throughout most of the eastern United States, west to Nebraska, and southward into northeastern Mexico. In Texas it is found in the eastern part of the state, but scattered records from farther west may suggest a range extension in Texas, as has presumably occurred in Nebraska and Kansas (Dowler et al. 1999; Geluso et al. 2008; Phelps et al. 2008). The evening bat is commonly encountered in 7 ecological regions in the eastern half of Texas—the South Central Plains (Pineywoods ), East Central Texas Plains, Cross Timbers, Blackland Prairies, Edwards Plateau, Southern Texas Plains, and Gulf Coastal Plains. It is a forest inhabitant and is commonly found along watercourses throughout the year (Schmidly et al. 1977). Throughout much of its range in the United States, N. humeralis is migratory and favors southern climes in winter, County (7) (Dalquest et al. 1990), Ochiltree County (4) (Dalquest et al. 1990), Potter County (6) (Yancey et al. 1998). References. 19, 39, 54, 62, 86, 92, 102, 106, 122, 132, 136, 139, 140, 141, 142, 147, 148, 159, 166, 168, 183, 184, 186, 188, 198, 205, 228, 232, 284, 306, 313, 315, 316, 318, 319, 322, 323, 324, 332, 336, 339, 342, 355, 361, 381, 397, 398, 404, 405, 409, 443, 463, 475, 478, 494, 511, 515, 516, 517, 524, 564, 571, 574, 575, 588, 617, 625, 626, 633, 635, 639, 651, 652, 691, 705, 707, 718, 723, 724, 725, 727, 752, 760, 767, 769, 774, 781, 802, 811, 822, 823, 830, 833, 840, 851, 862, 897, 921, 923, 934, 964, 976, 999, 1001, 1024, 1025, 1026, 1028, 1029, 1030, 1034, 1040, 1044, 1072, 1091, 1101, 1102, 1112, 1120, 1121, 1136, 1138, 1137, 1153, 1164, 1169, 1170, 1171, 1172, 1179, 1195, 1197, 1200, 1202, 1203, 1207, 1222, 1225, 1227, 1230, 1231, 1236, 1238, 1248, 1250, 1253, 1254 Nycticeius humeralis (Rafinesque, 1818) Evening Bat Etymology. The generic name comes from the Greek word nyktios, meaning “of the night.” The specific name is derived from the Latin word umerus, for “shoulder” (Stangl et al. 1993). Subspecies. Texas specimens are referable to the subspecies N. h. humeralis (Rafinesque , 1818), according to the latest taxonomic assessment of the species in the state (Schmidly and Hendricks 1984). Description. This is a small (forearm = 33–39 mm), rather nondescript bat whose pelage is dark brown dorsally and paler below. The wings are short and narrow, and the ears are small. The wing evening bat 173 in the cavities and crevices of live or dead trees, in woodpecker holes, behind loose bark of trees, in tree foliage and Spanish moss, in buildings, in leaf litter, between rocks, and even in abandoned underground burrows (Bowles et al. 1996; Boyles et al. 2005; Chapman and Chapman 1990; Hein et al. 2009; Menzel et al. 2001a; Perry and Thill 2008a). They are a rather cosmopolitan treeroosting species and readily use a large number of tree species as roosts; those although it is unknown how far north or south this bat migrates (Boyles et al. 2003; Humphrey and Cope 1968; Saugey et al. 1988). In Texas, the evening bat has been collected in abundance from late March through September and only occasionally in winter. However, the winter habits of this bat are poorly known, and no winter roosting sites in Texas have been reported. Life History. Evening bats occupy a large variety of roosts and have been found Evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) 174 family vespertilionidae located in mature longleaf pine habitat, while some occur in riparian hardwood stands or intensely managed loblolly pine stands (Hein et al. 2009; Menzel et al. 2001a; Miles et al. 2006). However , in one study...