Going Batty

FWP ramps up bat research in southeast Montana with help from public

It’s spring in southeast Montana. Bats have emerged from their winter hibernacula, and nongame biologists have emerged from their offices to study said bats.

FWP Region 7’s nongame biology staff have been busy lately, spending a week mist-netting for bats around the region to detect signs of white-nose syndrome. This syndrome, detected in Montana bats in 2021, is caused by a cold-weather fungus that causes bats to awaken early and starve from lack of food sources. During mist-netting, biologists capture bats over waterways in very fine nets to determine species, take measurements, log reproductive status and check for the fungus that causes WNS.

Nongame biologists are also preparing to conduct emergence counts at various known roost sites around the region. Some of these sites are on public lands where bat boxes have been erected for this purpose, while other sites are at private residences where owners have volunteered to help monitor these flying mammals. Residents will allow FWP staff to come out and monitor bat activity at their outbuildings or other structures, and some plan to help observe the counts.

It's a rare, fun opportunity for people to assist FWP through citizen science.

Bats won’t just congregate anywhere, according to FWP nongame biologist Amanda Hall, even if you put up a bat house for them.

“Bats are very selective in terms of what is a suitable bat box or roost site,” Hall said. “You have to consider temperature, disturbances, proximity to water, etc., but we really don’t know in eastern Montana what their preferences are.”

That’s one reason why Hall sought help from the public to locate some sites around the region that offer suitable bat habitat. The hope is to track bat activity in these areas from year to year.

“Bats have site fidelity,” Hall said, explaining that they stay with chosen roost sites.

This outreach to bat hosts is a newer component to FWP’s existing bat research. These private sites can be located in the counties of Custer, Garfield, Treasure, Rosebud, Prairie, Powder River, Richland, Dawson, Wibaux, Fallon and Carter.

The data collected at these sites will be used in conjunction with the Montana Natural Heritage Program, but exact location information will not be published.