Spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11

Summary of Status Report

The Spotted Bat is a rare, patchily distributed bat found across western North America. In Canada where it reaches its northern limits, it is confined to the intermontane grasslands of British Columbia. Although it can be inventoried by acoustic surveys of its audible (to humans) echolocation calls of individuals emerging from their day roosts to forage at night, census data for Canada are limited by inconsistencies in methodology and a geographic bias for the southern Okanagan Valley. The available census data suggest that the Canadian population may be less than 1,000 animals and stable. As the known day roosts are in crevices, this species may have specialized roosting requirements. Although it forages in a broad range of habitats including habitats modified for agriculture, its diet appears to consist mostly of large moths. The steppe and grasslands of British Columbia support an abundant and diverse moth fauna. Nothing is known about the distribution of the Canadian population in winter--individuals may hibernate in rock crevices within the summer range or migrate to the United States to overwinter. Limiting factors include disturbance of roosting sites, the loss of riparian habitat and possible impacts of pesticides on its prey. Less than 10% of its Canadian range falls within protected areas and more than 50% of its range is on private or Indian Reserve lands where habitat is excluded from protection under the British Columbia Forest and Range Practices code.

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