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In North America, Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat) has experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome. As these bats become rare and difficult to capture, additional day-roost assessments to inform management may fill gaps in our understanding, particularly in habitats and regions where such roosts have never been surveyed. Over 2 summers, we radio-tracked 16 individuals from a maternity colony on Long Island, NY, in a small forested patch surrounded by development and ocean. These bats disproportionately selected small, suppressed Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust) trees or snags for roosting. Generally, roosts occurred within the interior or edges of this forest patch, rather than surrounding suburbia, reinforcing the hypothesis that Northern Long-eared Bats are forest adapted. Our study shows even small tracts of forest in coastal, urban areas may have conservation value in providing day-roost and foraging habitat. US National Park Service, through the Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit Program, White-nose Syndrome Contract [P19AC01185] Published version Funding was provided by the US National Park Service, through the Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit Program, White-nose Syndrome Contract #P19AC01185, to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. We thank L. Ries, H. Taylor, K. Taylor, M. True, and S. Flanagan for field assistance. Public domain – authored by a U.S. government employee |
