An Annotated Checklist of Nebraskan Bats

BY

OLIN L. WEBB and J. KNOX JONES, JR.


University of Kansas Publications
Museum of Natural History

Volume 5, No. 21, pp. 269-279
May 31, 1952


University of Kansas
LAWRENCE
1952

University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History

Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, A. Byron Leonard,
Edward H. Taylor, Robert W. Wilson

Volume 5, No. 21, pp. 269-279
May 31, 1952


University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas


PRINTED BY
FERD VOILAND, JR., STATE PRINTER
TOPEKA, KANSAS
1952

24-2965

An Annotated Checklist of Nebraskan Bats

BY

OLIN L. WEBB and J. KNOX JONES, JR.

HISTORY

The first mention of bats in Nebraska possibly was by Harrison Allen, in his "Monograph of the Bats of North America" (1864:14, 20, 30, 35, 42), who listed Nycticejus crepuscularis [= Nycticeius humeralis], Lasiurus borealis, Scotophilus carolinensis and Scotophilus fuscus [both = Eptesicus fuscus], and Scotophilus noctivagans [= Lasionycteris noctivagans], as collected in "Nebraska" (then Nebraska Territory) by J. G. Cooper. Henry W. Setzer (in litt.) reports that none of the bats collected by Cooper now exists in the United States National Museum and that no data pertaining to any of them are available except that a single specimen of Nycticeius humeralis was traded to the British Museum in 1866. Cooper journeyed through parts of the present state of Nebraska in the summer and autumn of 1857 and, judging from Taylor's (1919:72-80) report of Cooper's travels, this was the only time he entered any part of Nebraska Territory. The writers are of the opinion that the specimens in question probably were collected in Nebraska; but since Allen listed no exact localities or dates of collection and since the specimens and data pertaining to them are not now available, we have not included them here as Nebraskan records.

In the first comprehensive account of Nebraskan mammals, Myron H. Swenk (1908:137-139) listed six kinds of bats, Myotis evotis, Myotis californicus ciliolabrum [= Myotis subulatus subulatus], Lasionycteris noctivagans, Eptesicus fuscus, Lasiurus borealis, and Lasiurus cinereus, as occurring within the state. Zimmer (1913:665) recorded Nyctinomus mexicanus [= Tadarida mexicana] from Nebraska. Subsequently, Swenk (1915:854) reported Myotis lucifugus lucifugus in the state and three years later (1918:411) he reported Eptesicus fuscus pallidus for the first time. The report of M. l. lucifugus seemingly was not substantiated by any actual specimens. The addition of Myotis volans interior (Quay, 1948:181) brought to ten the number of species and subspecies of bats reported from the state.

In the present paper, Myotis keenii septentrionalis, Myotis lucifugus carissima, and Pipistrellus subflavus subflavus are reported from Nebraska for the first time. Also, the first authentic record of Myotis lucifugus lucifugus is presented, along with additional information on previously reported species. A total number of 169 specimens from Nebraska was available for the present study. This includes almost all of the known specimens preserved in all collections as well as material obtained by us in the past six years.

Nebraska has no natural caves or caverns; however, there are two extensive man-made limestone caves near