Bats of the Cumberland Plateau and Ridge and Valley Provinces, Virginia

Abstract

The distribution and abundance of bats in western Virginia are poorly documented, especially in summer. Herein, we report results for captures of bats during 8 summers (between 2000 and 2009) of mist-netting surveys in the Cumberland Plateau and the Ridge and Valley provinces of Virginia. We captured 1575 bats representing 11 species and report multiple new county records for 10 of the 11 counties surveyed. Average capture rate was 1.9 bats per net-night, and Simpson's diversity index was 3.9 for the 8-year period. We also documented earliest and latest detection dates for reproducing females and presence of juveniles in 7 bat species. Our data contribute to an understanding of the relative abundance, distribution, and reproductive phenology of bats in these provinces, and may aid in the development of sound conservation strategies for these species in Virginia and surrounding states. Baseline data like these are increasingly important in light of White-Nose Syndrome's effects on bat populations in the region.