Assessment of abandoned mines for bat use on Bureau of Land Management lands in the Phillipsburg, Montana area, 1999
Hendricks, P.
creator
Montana Natural Heritage Program.
contributor
United States. Bureau of Land Management.
contributor
text
book
Helena, Mont
Montana Natural Heritage Program
c2000
2000
ENG
Cover title.
"January, 2000."
In July 1999, three groups of abandoned mine workings on BLM lands in the Philipsburg, Granite County, Montana area were inspected for their potential use by bats. Site groups included the Russian Gulch Mine (2 adits), Frost Creek group adjacent to Philipsburg (5 adits), and the Cliff Creek group, also adjacent to Philipsburg (7 adits, 1 shaft). Where possible, workings were inspected internally for bats and bat spoor; at sites suitable and with greatest potential, mist nets were set across portals and monitored for two hours after sunset. All but the Russian Gulch Mine were shallow workings or inaccessible, and all workings exhibited low activity or low potential for significant use by bats. The Russian Gulch Mine could be made more accessible to bats, and has the greatest potential for significant use, but another nearby working (Silver King Mine) showed current bat activity (as of 1997) and is preferable for bat-friendly reclamation if limited funds preclude management for bats at both mines. Five bat species that use caves and mines as primary hibernation habitat have been recorded from Granite County, and have the potential to occur in abandoned mine workings in the Philipsburg area. These species include the Western Small-footed Myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum), Western Long-eared Myotis (M. evotis), Little Brown Myotis (M. lucifugus), Long-legged Myotis (M. volans) and the Townsend Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii). All but the Little Brown Myotis are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Concern species, and the Townsend Big-eared Bat is also a BLM Special Status species in Montana.
Abandoned mined lands reclamation
Adits
Bats
Environmental aspects
Geographical distribution
Granite County
Habitat
Hibernation
Little brown bat
Long-legged myotis
Mine workings
Mist netting
Montana
Plecotus townsendii
Western Long-eared Myotis
Western small-footed myotis
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/35915
289686132
10.5962/bhl.title.35915
MZB