5/5 #WBTC1#Conserve3
Conservation actions we recommend based on our results ⬇️
1) reduce understory thinning
2) don’t 🪓 forests along streams
3) retain more old-growth forests and snags to promote more 🌳 cavities
4) don’t 🪓 Apr to early Aug when 🦇 are🤰🏻🤱🏻
4/5 #WBTC1#Conserve3
Finally able to find natural maternity roosts, we assessed our data and prior records. ♀ tube-nosed and whiskered 🦇s are likely in their sensitive repro period (🤰🏻🤱🏻) from Apr to early Aug. Whiskered 🦇data in particular still needed
3/5 #WBTC1#Conserve3
Whiskered 🦇s were harder to track, but also solitary except for maternity 👩👧👦
🌳cavity-specialist & ALL roosts were directly on streams in forests >70 yo despite other seemingly available habitat.
Maybe specific habitat needs are why this 🦇 is so rare?
2/5 #WBTC1#Conserve3
Solitary tube-nosed 🦇s roosted mostly in understory🍃
Maternity colonies 👩👧👦 roosted higher and more often in 🌳 cavities. Avg colony size ~6 (2–15). 🦇s switched roosts near daily even when in colonies & all roosts were in forests 30+ yo