Managing Visitors to Prevent Disruption of Emergence of Bats
Public interest in viewing emergences of bats has increased in recent years, and possible disruption by visitors of emergence time of colonies has become a concern for wildlife biologists. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to assess the influence of visitors on time of emergence and flight behavior of a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana). In summer 1992, we studied dynamics of the bat colony at the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area near Fredericksburg, Kendall County, Texas. Data were not recorded until the start of a continuous flight of...
