Genetic variation and population structure among western hibernacula of Townsend's big-eared bats, Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii.

Hibernating bats are often at risk from human disturbance, loss of suitable habitat due to climate change, or anthropogenic modification and disease. Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) is a species of special concern that is distributed across the western United States. In the winter, individuals hibernate mostly in caves, mines, and other cavern-like structures, many of which are under threat. The aim of this study is to use microsatellite and mitochondrial data to investigate the genetic structure of hibernacula in eastern California and western Nevada of C. t. townsendii, the westernmost subspecies of C. townsendii. We found that both types of molecular markers support a lack of population genetic structure among western hibernacula, similar to results from studies of maternity colonies in the study area. However, we did find population structure when we compared mitochondrial data from our study area to sequenced populations across the geographic range of the subspecies. Additionally, we found unique haplotypes in sampled hibernacula, suggesting some geographic restriction of genetic variation, which highlights the importance of maintaining and protecting roosts across the region to promote genetic diversity in C. t. townsendii. These results provide important baseline data that can aid understanding of how climate change, habitat loss, and disease can affect the genetic health of small, hibernating mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]