Biologists have discovered a bat species in Southeast Alaska that wasn't previously known to inhabit the area, the News-Miner reported.
For the last three years, researchers from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have been researching the little known bats of Southeast Alaska. They discovered bat species known to live in the area have a larger range than they previously realized.
Up until recently, researchers in Western states "by and large have neglected" bats, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Biologist Karen Blejwas told reporters at an event hosted by the Southeast Chapter of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.
The Hoary Bat was discovered while using acoustic monitoring - a device used to detect and record bats' echolocation calls - in downtown Juneau, Auke Lake, Gustavus, Hoonah and Ketchikan. Although, it's one of the most-widely spread bats in North America, it had not been detected in Alaska, the Juneau Empire reports, the News-Miner reported.
The new bat is the six known bat in Southeast Alaska. Previously the five kinds of bats known in the area were the Keen's Myotis, the Little Brown Bat, the Silver-haired Bat, the Long-legged Myotis, and the California Myotis.
Researchers also discovered California Myotis and Keen's Myotis bats farther north than they were known to hang out.
Acoustic monitoring also enables researchers to detect the shape, size, texture, distance and movement of potential prey within a short range. The technology has "revolutionized" bat research, helping to fill in information about their presence, distribution, seasonal patterns and activity, Blejwas said.
At the event, Blejwas said scientists have only recently intensified bat research, and that might not only be a result of the technological advances, but because of an impending threat to bat colony in Alaska, according to the News-Miner.
White-nose syndrome a fungus affecting and killing hibernating bats began spreading across eastern North America in 2006. One of the hardest-hit species is one of Southeast Alaska's most common species.
The fungus has not yet been detected in Alaska, but disease was a "wake-up call" for biologists, the News-Miner reported.
"We stand the chance of losing bats before we really even know what we have," Blejwas told the News-Miner.
According to the Peninsula Clarion, bats are the only mammals that have evolved powered flight. All of Southeast Alaska's species are insectivorous and use echolocation to hunt.
