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Winter Roosting Ecology of Eastern Red Bats in Southwest Missouri
Author(s) -
MORMANN BRAD M.,
ROBBINS LYNN W.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2005-622
Subject(s) - overwintering , canopy , ecology , geography , habitat , tree line , tree canopy , biology , climate change
Eastern red bats ( Lasiurus borealis ) have been found to overwinter in areas that can experience severe fluctuations in temperature. We examined the red bat's use of winter roosts in southwest Missouri, USA, for 2 winters (2003–2005). We found tree roosts in eastern red cedars ( Juniperus virginiana ) and hardwoods. Tree roost sites were located on the south side of trees, and we found roost trees on south‐facing slopes. Roost sites occurred more frequently in the location with least canopy cover. Bats switched from tree roosts to leaf litter roosts when ambient temperatures approached or fell below freezing. We found habitat characteristics and aspect to be determining factors in the selection of leaflitter roosts. Management of overwintering red bats requires a diverse forest structure, including canopy gaps, stand‐density variation, and leaf‐bearing trees, including oaks ( Quercus spp.).