Bats of the piñon-juniper woodlands of southwestern Colorado

Abstract

As one of the most abundant and widespread forest types in the Southwest, piñon-juniper woodlands are used to varying degrees by many bat species (Chung-MacCoubrey 1996; Findley et al. 1975; Hoffmeister 1986; Jones 1965). Because of the uniqueness and rarity of old-growth piñon-juniper, the ancient woodlands of Mesa Verde Country likely provide bats with a combination of roosting and foraging opportunities not found elsewhere. Although no studies on bat habitat use have been conducted in southwestern Colorado and Mesa Verde National Park – coupled with habitat use studies piñon-juniper woodlands of New Mexico – provide insight into how the bat community in Mesa Verde Country uses he landscape. In this chapter we describe the bat species that occur in the Mesa Verde region, some of their life history, availability of bat roosts in piñon-juniper woodlands, and general patterns of habitat use by each species. We also discuss how the pat community probably uses piñon-juniper woodlands in southwestern Colorado.