Chapter 2

May 31, 1952

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas

PRINTED BY FERD VOILAND, JR., STATE PRINTER TOPEKA, KANSAS 1952

24-2965

An Annotated Checklist of Nebraskan Bats

BY

OLIN L. WEBB and J. KNOX JONES, JR.

HISTORY

The first mention of bats in Nebraska possibly was by Harrison Allen, in his "Monograph of the Bats of North America" (1864:14, 20, 30, 35, 42), who listed _Nycticejus crepuscularis_ [= _Nycticeius humeralis_], _Lasiurus borealis_, _Scotophilus carolinensis_ and _Scotophilus fuscus_ [both = _Eptesicus fuscus_], and _Scotophilus noctivagans_ [= _Lasionycteris noctivagans_], as collected in "Nebraska" (then Nebraska Territory) by J. G. Cooper. Henry W. Setzer (in _litt._) reports that none of the bats collected by Cooper now exists in the United States National Museum and that no data pertaining to any of them are available except that a single specimen of _Nycticeius humeralis_ was traded to the British Museum in 1866. Cooper journeyed through parts of the present state of Nebraska in the summer and autumn of 1857 and, judging from Taylor's (1919:72-80) report of Cooper's travels, this was the only time he entered any part of Nebraska Territory. The writers are of the opinion that the specimens in question probably were collected in Nebraska; but since Allen listed no exact localities or dates of collection and since the specimens and data pertaining to them are not now available, we have not included them here as Nebraskan records.

In the first comprehensive account of Nebraskan mammals, Myron H. Swenk (1908:137-139) listed six kinds of bats, _Myotis evotis_, _Myotis californicus ciliolabrum_ [= _Myotis subulatus subulatus_], _Lasionycteris noctivagans_, _Eptesicus fuscus_, _Lasiurus borealis_, and _Lasiurus cinereus_, as occurring within the state. Zimmer (1913:665) recorded _Nyctinomus mexicanus_ [= _Tadarida mexicana_] from Nebraska. Subsequently, Swenk (1915:854) reported _Myotis lucifugus lucifugus_ in the state and three years later (1918:411) he reported _Eptesicus fuscus pallidus_ for the first time. The report of _M. l. lucifugus_ seemingly was not substantiated by any actual specimens. The addition of _Myotis volans interior_ (Quay, 1948:181) brought to ten the number of species and subspecies of bats reported from the state.

In the present paper, _Myotis keenii septentrionalis_, _Myotis lucifugus carissima_, and _Pipistrellus subflavus subflavus_ are reported from Nebraska for the first time. Also, the first authentic record of _Myotis lucifugus lucifugus_ is presented, along with additional information on previously reported species. A total number of 169 specimens from Nebraska was available for the present study. This includes almost all of the known specimens preserved in all collections as well as material obtained by us in the past six years.

Nebraska has no natural caves or caverns; however, there are two extensive man-made limestone caves near Louisville, in Cass and Sarpy counties, where four kinds of bats have been found. Two of these are here reported as new to Nebraska. The quarries, one on either side of the Platte River Valley, are in a horizontal stratum of limestone 40 feet in thickness, and are of the room and pillar type; that is to say, the stone has been quarried away leaving rooms having supporting pillars approximately every 50 feet. The average temperatures in summer and winter within these tunnels, recorded over a period of several years by the Ash Grove Lime and Portland Cement Company of Louisville, are 65° F. and 50° F. respectively. The Kiewit Stone Quarry, abandoned since 1936, is one-half mile west of Meadow, Sarpy County, and has one remaining entrance measuring approximately 30 by 30 feet. This quarry has an area of approximately one-fifth square mile and is usually flooded with several feet of water. The other man-made cave, known formerly as the National Stone Quarry, is one mile northeast of Louisville, Cass County. This quarry was abandoned in September, 1938, and until the winter of 1948-1949 had eight or nine entrances and two air shafts. It was approximately one-third square mile in area. All the openings to this quarry were covered in late 1949. Bats were first observed in the National Stone Quarry by one of us (Webb) as early as 1939, less than a year after operations in the quarry ceased.

METHODS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Records of Nebraskan bats are arranged in two categories; specimens examined and additional records. The latter refer to citations in the literature. Genera are arranged according to Simpson (1945:59, 60), and species are listed alphabetically under each genus. Specimens examined are in the personal collection of the authors unless otherwise indicated.

In connection with this study the authors acknowledge the assistance of Drs. Edson H. Fichter, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State College, and E. Raymond Hall and Rollin H. Baker, University of Kansas Museum of Natural History for critical assistance with the manuscript. We are indebted to Mr. Richard B. Loomis, University of Kansas, for aid in collecting specimens; to Dr. Henry W. Setzer, United States National Museum, for providing information on possible early Nebraskan records; and to Mr. Fred Brammer, Ash Grove Lime and Portland Cement Company, Louisville, Nebraska, for information on, and permission to collect in, the quarries of that area. For the loan of specimens we are grateful to Dr. William H. Burt, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Dr. C. Bertrand Schultz, University of Nebraska State Museum, Dr. Otis Wade, University of Nebraska Department of Zoology, Miss Lucille Drury, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Mr. W. E. Eigsti, Hastings Museum, Hastings, Nebraska, and to those in charge of the collections of the Nebraska Game, Forestation and Parks Commission.

ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES

~Myotis evotis evotis~ (H. Allen)

Long-eared Myotis

_Vespertilio evotis_ H. Allen, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., 165:48, June, 1864 (part), type from Monterey, Monterey Co., California.

_Myotis evotis_, Miller, N. Amer. Fauna, 13:78, October 16, 1897.

_Distribution in Nebraska._--Pine Ridge area of northwestern part of state.

_Record of occurrence._--Specimen examined, 1, as follows: SIOUX CO.: Warbonnet Canyon, 1 (Univ. Nebr. State Mus.).

_Remarks._--This specimen was taken by Merritt Cary on July 22, 1901.

~Myotis keenii septentrionalis~ (Trouessart)

Eastern Long-eared Myotis

[_Vespertilio gryphus_] var. _septentrionalis_ Trouessart, Catal. Mamm. viv. foss., p. 131, 1897, type from Halifax, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia.

_Myotis keenii septentrionalis_, Miller and Allen, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 144:105, May 25, 1928.

_Distribution in Nebraska._--Known from limestone quarries in Cass and Sarpy counties. Probably in other parts of extreme eastern Nebraska.

_Records of occurrence._--Specimens examined, 35, as follows: CASS CO.: 1 mi. NE Louisville, 4. SARPY CO.: 1/2