Through the Western Section of the The Wildlife Society we were able to attend a workshop for the Ecology and Field Methods for the study of bats. During our habitat assessments for projects, we encounter numerous local bat species which are listed Species of Special Concern (SSC) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; California Public Resources Code §§ 21000-21177) requires State agencies, local governments, and special districts to evaluate and disclose impacts from "projects" in the State. Section 15380 of the CEQA Guidelines clearly indicates that species of special concern should be included in an analysis of project impacts if they can be shown to meet the criteria of sensitivity outlined therein.
This workshop combined lecture, discussion, and field exercises regarding ecology and conservation of California bats, covering species accounts, physiology, anatomy, behavioral ecology, conservation issues, and mitigation strategies. We employed field techniques of mist-netting, assessing species presence or absence, and acoustic monitoring to gain hands-on experience in monitoring and analysis. During evening field excursions we typically captured a half dozen bat species and, for those with proof of current rabies vaccination, we were allowed practice in extracting, handling, as well as collecting and recording data from captured bats. The following is a list of bats in Humboldt County that are commonly observed.
Scientific Name Common Name
Antrozous pallidus pallid bat
Corynorhinus townsendii Townsend's big-eared bat
Lasionycteris noctivagans silver-haired bat
Lasiurus blossevillii western red bat
Lasiurus cinereus hoary bat
Myotis evotis long-eared myotis
Myotis thysanodes fringed myotis
Myotis volans long-legged myotis
Myotis yumanensis Yuma myotis
Find your own ways to learn more about these creatures, which are extrememly important for pest-control and ecology. Here are some links to get you started!
Classroom portion-Taxonomy, identification and ecology
Mist nets going up
Male Myotis