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A Survey of Florida Bat Species Feeding at Highway Rest Areas

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Date Issued:
2023
Summary:
Florida is home to 13 species of bats, all of which are insectivorous. As humans immigrated into areas that were previously natural, bats have had to adjust their habits to live alongside us. Bats in Florida are commonly seen foraging for insects attracted to artificial lights. For my thesis, I set up ultrasonic recording equipment at highway rest areas under large streetlights in Martin and Palm Beach County to see how frequently different bat species visited each area. I identified a total of 1598 calls, including 159 calls of rare or endangered species. I found most frequently recorded species at both sites was the Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), a very common species in South Florida. My other findings suggest that the known rarity and range of some species should be reconsidered. The importance of streetlights to the survival of insectivorous bats certainly deserves additional attention.
Title: A Survey of Florida Bat Species Feeding at Highway Rest Areas.
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Name(s): Fernandez, Ariel, author
Wetterer, James K., Thesis advisor
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Thesis
Date Created: 2023
Date Issued: 2023
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Jupiter, FL
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 27 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Florida is home to 13 species of bats, all of which are insectivorous. As humans immigrated into areas that were previously natural, bats have had to adjust their habits to live alongside us. Bats in Florida are commonly seen foraging for insects attracted to artificial lights. For my thesis, I set up ultrasonic recording equipment at highway rest areas under large streetlights in Martin and Palm Beach County to see how frequently different bat species visited each area. I identified a total of 1598 calls, including 159 calls of rare or endangered species. I found most frequently recorded species at both sites was the Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), a very common species in South Florida. My other findings suggest that the known rarity and range of some species should be reconsidered. The importance of streetlights to the survival of insectivorous bats certainly deserves additional attention.
Identifier: FAUHT00251 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (B.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, 2023
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FAUHT00251
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.

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