Northern Region Bat Species Occurrences in Idaho

The purpose of this report is to summarize available distributional records and habitat information for bats occurring in US Forest Service Northern Region National Forests (NF) in Idaho and Ranger Districts (RD) within these forests. We compiled observations derived from various sources, including survey data, museum specimens, literature, and incidental sightings. The known ranges of 11 species overlap the Idaho portion of the Northern Region, and these are represented by records in our dataset. Up to five other species may be present in these National Forests, including three species that have been tentatively identified from echolocation sonograms and two species that have been documented to occur adjacent to these National Forests. Eleven species are represented by in-hand identifications or specimens in the Idaho Panhandle and Nez Perce National Forests, but only 10 species have been confirmed in the Clearwater National Forest, and just one species was confirmed in the Idaho portion of the Bitterroot NF. Among the species confirmed to occur in the National Forests, the silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) was the most commonly detected species based on relative number of records, followed by California myotis (Myotis californicus), long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis), little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), long-legged myotis (Myotis volans), and Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis); western small-footed myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum) and Townsend‘s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) were detected least often. We review the habitat, ecology, and distribution for each species.