Reproductive Trends in Little Brown Bats Before and After the Onset of White-nose Syndrome in Virginia

Karen E. Powers^1,*, W. Mark Ford², Richard J. Reynolds³, William D. Orndorff⁴, David E. Yates⁵, and Thomas E. Malabad⁴

¹Radford University, Radford, VA 24142. ²U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Blacksburg, VA 24061. ³Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources, Verona, VA 24482. ⁴Virginia DCR-Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA 23219. ⁵Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME 04103. ^*Corresponding author.

Journal of North American Bat Research, Volume 2 (2024): 1–12

Abstract
Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) declines in Virginia following white-nose syndrome (WNS) prompted an investigation into reproductive behaviors of surviving individuals. To examine reproductive change, we examined female bats prior to, during and after endemism establishment. We also examined capture trends of juveniles at maternity colonies. Timing and proportion of reproductive conditions did not differ except for reductions in lactating females during WNS invasion relative to the pre-WNS period. There was no significant difference in the proportion of juveniles between WNS-endemic years, indicating population recovery is slow. Of 78 recaptures, 2 individuals survived >8 years, suggesting individual longevity after WNS endemism. Our findings emphasize the value of long-term datasets to assess reproductive status of Little Brown Bats.

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