Status
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has established the Sequoyah/Oklahoma Bat Cave National Wildlife Refuge. In other areas, cave entrances have been fenced—to keep humans and domestic animals out of the caves but to allow bats access.Habitat
The caves used by Ozark big-eared bats are located in karst regions dominated by oak-hickory forests. Karst, a special type of landscape, is formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, including limestone and dolomite. The temperature of hibernation caves ranges from 40 to 50 °F. The Ozark big-eared bats use caves all year around, thus they are highly susceptible to extinction if their homes vary too greatly in temperature, are disturbed, or are destroyed. The Ozark big-eared bats once lived in caves in Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma,. but they have apparently abandoned their Missouri habitat due to human encroachment and cave disturbance.Uses
Concern about the conservation status of bats is developing, as many species of bats are increasingly affected by humans. Bats face multiple threats of pesticide poisoning, roost destruction and closure, habitat loss, diseases such as white nose syndrome, over-exploitation, and extermination as pests. Habitat fragmentation, a major concern, creates a disruption of extensive habitats into isolated bat populations. The primary cause of decline is disturbance. When humans enter hibernation caves, they arouse the bats, whose metabolic rate increases. A single arousal can expend 10 to 30 days of fat reserve. This can result in death by starvation, because the bats have little extra fat reserve. Predation at the cave entrance by house cats, racoons, bobcats, and other animals has also caused significant mortality.References:
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