An endangered species of migrating bat has been confirmed in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ for the first time, using an emerging genetic sampling method and the work of some amateur scientists.
The first definitive proof of Mexican long-nosed bats in southeastern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ was collected in just about the least glamorous way possible: by swabbing bat saliva from backyard hummingbird feeders and testing it for DNA.
The findings were announced Wednesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and , a nonprofit environmental group based in Austin, Texas.
“We are thrilled to see the Mexican long-nosed bat officially confirmed in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, thanks to the contributions from our citizen science partners,†said Kristen Lear, director of the nonprofit’s agave restoration program. “This discovery opens new avenues for research and conservation, and we are grateful for the support of our partners and the public.â€
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Considered an important pollinator for desert cactuses and agaves, the Mexican long-nosed bat was added to the in 1988.
An endangered Mexican long-nosed bat uses its tongue to feed on nectar. Wildlife officials announced this week that the species' presence in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ has been confirmed for the first time.
It is not to be confused with the Mexican long-tongued bat and the once-endangered lesser long-nosed bat, two other native nectar-feeding species known to raid hummingbird feeders in Tucson and elsewhere across southeastern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ in late summer and early fall.
Mexican long-nosed bats migrate annually from south-central Mexico to the southwestern U.S., where they spend the summer at maternity roosts in and around Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas and in the bootheel of southwestern New Mexico.
It’s not a total shock, then, that saliva from the flying mammal might turn up on hummingbird feeders belonging to retired Bureau of Land Management wildlife biologist turned citizen scientist Al Bammann in Portal, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, at the base of the Chiricahua Mountains, less than 10 miles west of the New Mexico state line.
“Citizen science means that you’re plugging what you discover into something bigger than yourself,†said Bammann. “It all helps to understand what is there and what is changing.â€
Night moves
The discovery brings the number of known bat species in the state to 29, according to the . Of that total, the Mexican long-nosed bat is the only one currently listed as endangered.
“Knowing for sure is exciting,†said Angie McIntire, statewide bat specialist for Game and Fish. “It’s a species that we thought probably occurred in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, but the scientific breakthroughs that enabled the confirmation of its presence are the real highlight of this story.â€Â
A Mexican long-nosed bat in flight. The endangered species has been confirmed in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ for the first time.
Bat Conservation International said the discovery was made possible by the aptly named “Species from Feces†lab at Northern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ University, where scientists are developing ways to identify bats without having to capture them by analyzing traces of genetic material the animals leave behind.
Environmental DNA, as it is known, is most commonly used to identify aquatic species by testing the water in which they live. Several years ago, biologists at Saguaro National Park began using the technology to track rare animals and invasive species in spring-fed pools in the Rincon Mountains and elsewhere.
Using traces of genetic material in saliva or droppings to track bats represents another leap forward.
“If we were trying to identify the species in the absence of eDNA, biologists could spend hours and hours trying to catch one of these bats, and even then, you’re not guaranteed to be successful,†said McIntire. “By sampling the environment, eDNA gives us an additional tool for our toolkit, allowing researchers to confirm the presence of this rare species without actually having to catch one in the wild, which can be very difficult.â€
Being captured is also hard on the bats, which already face increasing threats from disease and habitat loss.
And even when they are caught, Mexican long-nosed bats are difficult to differentiate from their lesser long-nosed cousins. According to Bat Conservation International, the two species look nearly identical in pictures, and the chirps they use for echolocation are too similar to tell apart in acoustic recordings. The way the Mexican long-nosed variety is identified in the field is by measuring the length of the bat’s third finger, experts said.
Out of the dark
The use of eDNA allows researchers to cast a much wider net — figuratively speaking anyway — and get definitive results that at least tell them where the endangered bats are present.
“The discovery of (this species) in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ is a great example of the power of environmental DNA assays, and furthers the Species from Feces lab’s mission to use cutting-edge genetic technology for wildlife conservation,†said NAU research professor Faith Walker, director of genetics for the lab.
In addition to the network of people recruited to collect samples from their hummingbird feeders in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ and New Mexico, Bat Conservation International and its partners have been swabbing agaves for eDNA along potential Mexican long-nosed migratory routes across the southwestern U.S.
Scientists hope further research will help answer questions about where these bats roost and forage in the region, how prevalent the species is in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ and the extent of its range here.
They also want to know more about its adapted use of hummingbird feeders and how that might be affecting migration patterns and other behaviors.
The overall impacts of hummingbird feeders on bats are not well understood.
Mallory Davies, a Ph.D. candidate at Colorado State University, has been studying nectar-feeding bats at hummingbird feeders in southern New Mexico and southeastern ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ as part of a broader study.
What she has learned so far is that a feeder with individual perches can entangle a bat, so it’s best to use one with a continuous ring at the base.
Davies said feeders should also be placed a safe distance away from patio fans and outdoor cats that can kill bats.
Natural food sources such as native agaves are always the best option for bats, she said, but if you do find yourself attracting these creatures of the night — either accidentally or on purpose — it’s best to start tapering the nectar levels in your feeders once October rolls around. This will send a signal to the bats that it’s time to migrate, Davies said.
