Using Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tags to Monitor and Research Bats: Applications, Benefits, and Limitations
Austin G. Waag1,*, Joseph S. Johnson2, Robert A. Schorr3, Winifred F. Frick4,5, Theresa M. Laverty6, Daniel J. Neubaum7, Jeremy L. Siemers3, John J. Treanor8, Gabriel A. Reyes1, and Brian J. Halstead1
1U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon, CA 95620. 2School of Information Technology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45219. 3Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521. 4Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX 78746. 5Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064. 6Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003. 7Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Grand Junction, CO 81505. 8Yellowstone National Park, U.S. National Park Service, Mammoth Hot Springs, WY 82190. *Corresponding author.
Journal of North American Bat Research, Special Issue 1 (2025):100–118
Abstract
Worldwide declines of bat populations underscore the value of developing and refining survey tools to assess and monitor population statuses and dynamics. Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags can be an effective marking technique, facilitating the monitoring of individual bats at roost sites by using radio frequency (RFID) readers and antennas. We detail 5 ongoing studies, discuss the rationale for our study designs, and offer recommendations for monitoring and researching bats with PIT tags that are broadly applicable across species and locations. Using data from RFID readers, we show how population parameters can be precisely estimated across space and time, while improving our understanding of bat ecology and vulnerability to threats. We discuss PIT-tag loss as a potential limitation that varies across species, sex, and season, present minimum loss rates from 2 studies, and describe consequences and techniques to ameliorate this issue. Overall, integrating PIT tags with autonomous RFID readers and antennas provides a powerful survey method for monitoring, researching, and conserving bat populations.
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Journal of North American Bat Research is valued by the academic, agency, NGO, and private-sector research community as a respected and trusted source for science related to all aspects of the biology, ecology, and conservation of bats, Order Chiroptera, and their habitats in North America, from Canada to Panama, and the West Indies (Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and Lesser Antilles). Manuscripts based on studies outside this region that provide information on species within the region may be considered at the Editor’s discretion.