Three taxa of cave bats in Arkansas are listed as endangered: the gray bat {Myotis grisescens), the Indiana bat (M. sodalis) and the Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens). All occur primarily in the Ozark Plateau region of the northwestern and northcentral portion of the state. Population monitoring and ecological studies of endangered bats inhabiting important hibernation, summer, and transient caves were conducted annually since 1978. Through the efforts of several federal, state, and private agencies and organizations, as well as numerous private landowners, 14 caves important to bats were gated or fenced to protect colonies of bats from disturbance by humans. Several additional caves were afforded protection by intrusion alarm systems, control of access roads and cooperative management agreements.
