Bat Research in Rocky Mountain National Park

Townsend's big-eared bat

NPS

Bats are an emerging research topic in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). In order to expand our knowledge about these enigmatic nocturnal creatures, RMNP is currently working with researcher Jeremy Siemers, a zoologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program at Colorado State University. Initiated in 2018, this research aims to fill some of our current knowledge gaps concerning bats within the park. Specific questions of bat diversity, abundance, and health are of special interest to Siemers and his team.

A map of Rocky Mountain National Park with blue squares representing NA Bat 10x10km grid cells. Bat data collected within each grid helps inform large-scale bat research in North America.

NA Bat Database

Where Research Occurs

Bat research in RMNP occurs within larger cells defined as part of the NA Bat Program which utilizes bat observations and data collected across the country to determine population trends. The park is represented within 16 10x10 km cells. Surveys occur at front country sites like Holzwarth Historic Site and Moraine Park, where bats are known to inhabit park buildings. Siemers also conducts surveys in a variety of habitats and at different elevations to better understand bat distribution throughout the park.

Acoustic monitoring devices help scientists identify bats by the ultrasonic sounds they produce during echolocation.

NPS Photo

Tools for Bat Research

Acoustic monitoring

Acoustic monitors assess bat diversity and assemblages at the landscape level within RMNP and directly adjacent areas. By using non-invasive techniques, Siemers can provide the park and scientific community with a clearer picture of the diversity and abundance of bats without interrupting their natural behaviors and activities. Since 2018, acoustic monitors confirmed the long-suspected presence of four new bat species in the park: the Fringed myotis, big brown bat, hoary bat, and Townsend’s big-eared bat.

Mist netting and harp trapping

Mist nets and harp traps are used to capture bats, allowing the research team to verify species against acoustic monitor identification and to sample for white-nose syndrome (WNS) within the park. To do this, Siemers and his team use cotton tipped swabs to sample the wings and noses of captured bats. Swabs are then sent to a lab and tested for Pd, the fungus that causes WNS.

A harp net set up near Holzwarth Historic Site in RMNP. Harp nets allow scientists to safely capture bats to collect information on body condition, sex, age, and swab for white-nose syndrome.

NPS Photo

Infra-red video surveys

Infra-red videos are used to count bats emerging from roost sites and provide an estimate of bat abundance at these locations. In 2021, video emergence counts occurred near buildings and adjacent bat boxes where maternity colony roosts are identified. Emergence counts ranged from 30 – 100 individuals. Bat abundance information will ultimately help to inform park management decisions.

Bat research in RMNP is ongoing. To explore preliminary results of bat distribution and diversity in the park, visit the NA Bat database here: North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) (usgs.gov)