Bat Diversity Survey – West Point Military Reservation

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Pittsburgh Wildlife & Environmental, Inc. (PWE) was contracted by the Mission and Installation Contracting Command MICC – West Point (MICC) to complete summer surveys for the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and federally threatened Northern Long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) at the West Point Military Reservation (WPMR). The WPMR consists of approximately 16,000 acres and is located within the lower Hudson Valley in Orange County, New York.

The 2015 WPMR bat survey was completed as part of the ongoing bat population monitoring program previously established.  The summer mist netting survey was conducted by PWE in July of 2015. The survey consisted of 22 sites and 88 mist net nights. A total of 340 bats were captured, representing 5 species, including 2 Northern Long-eared bats. Species included Big Brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), Eastern Red bats (Lasiurus borealis), Little Brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), Northern Long-eared bats, and Small-footed bats (Myotis leibii).

Acoustic detectors were also used at a minimum of one per mist net site; a total of 23 acoustic detectors were deployed during the survey period.  Sonobat™ 3.1.4 NE Suite bat call analysis program was used to process recorded files.  A total of 7,610 bat calls were recorded, of which 6,438 were identifiable to species or Myotis genus level.  Of these identifiable calls, 8 species were identified, with a 9th group only being identifiable to the Myotis genus.  These 8 species included Big Brown bats, Hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), Eastern Red bats, Silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris nocivagans), Tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), Eastern Small-footed bats, Little Brown bats, and Northern Long-eared bats.  There were no Indiana bats captured or calls identified.

Based upon the survey results, MICC will report on all findings and captures and possibly survey again in 5 years.