Pallid Bat
Antrozous pallidus
Photo: Ivan Parr
Introduction
Status
Ecological Requirements
RCIS Regions: All terrestrial regions
RCIS Natural Communities: All terrestrial communities
Prefers to day roost in rocky outcrops, cliffs, tree crevices, and building and other structures with access to open habitats for foraging (CDFW 1988b, Lewis 1994); these roosts must protect bats from high temperatures (CDFW 2020)
Maternity roosts may have 12-100 individuals (CDFW 1988b)
Hibernates in winter, in locations near summer day roost (CDFW 1988b)
Preys on insects and is most commonly found in open, dry habitats with rocky areas for roosting (CDFW 2020)
Urbanization has reduced roosting and foraging habitat in coastal California
Potentially susceptible to fungal diseases (Langwig et al. 2015)
Full species account available: Pallid Bat Life History Account (CDFW 1988b)
RCIS Conservation Target: Moderate (widely distributed habitat, representative of bat species)
Associated Non-Focal Species
Range and Modeled Habitat
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
Overall, increased climate exposure is likely to have detrimental impacts on the pallid bat (PB). An increase in the number of severe storms (Fellers and Halstead 2015) and increased periods of drought (Jones et al. 2009) may have detrimental effects on insect populations, leading to lower prey availability. An increase in overall winter temperatures could lead to negative effects during hibernation by increasing energy needs, depleting fat reserves, and making bats more susceptible to fungal infections (Jones et al. 2009). Increasing temperatures may cause some species to move farther north (Jones et al. 2009) and increasing incidences of heat waves may threaten bats with direct and mass mortality (Sherwin et al. 2013).
Conservation Strategies
Pallid Bat Goals, Objectives, and Actions
There are 23 proposed actions. For complete goals, objectives and actions explanations see the complete table of conservation strategies in the RCIS PDF.
Species Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal PB 1
Promote persistence of pallid bat populations in the RCIS area through protection, restoration, and enhancement of habitat.Objective PB 1.2
Create, restore, and enhance occupied and suitable habitat for pallid bat in the RCIS area. Measure progress towards achieving this objective in the number of roosts and hibernation sites created, restored, enhanced, and occupied by pallid bat.Action PB 1.2.1
Install artificial roost boxes in suitable habitat with nearby suitable foraging habitat where roost site availability is unnaturally limiting the population.
Action PB 1.2.2
Design infrastructure projects, including culverts and bridges, to encourage roosting, and ensure that they are compatible with pallid bats.
Action PB 1.2.3
Limit recreational activities near caves and other roosting sites, including culverts and other transportation infrastructure.
Action PB 1.2.4
Conduct acoustic studies to determine distribution and identify different types of roosts.
Goal PB 2
Support stability and recovery of pallid bat populations in the RCIS area through measures to reduce direct mortality factors.Objective PB 2.1
Reduce pathogen-related mortality factors. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the reduction of pathogen-related pallid bat deaths detected compared to present day.Action PB 2.1.1
Sanitize all equipment before entering transportation infrastructure, including culverts, occupied by roosting bats, to prevent the spread of fungal diseases (such as white-nosed syndrome).
Action PB 2.1.2
Fund disease monitoring, surveillance, and testing of pallid bat carcasses.
Objective PB 2.2
Reduce renewable energy project-related mortality. Measure progress toward achieving this objective by the reduction of renewable energy project-related pallid bat deaths detected, compared to present day.Action PB 2.2.1
Conduct monitoring studies across all seasons to clarify activity patterns and locate roosts near proposed renewable energy facilities. Use monitoring data to inform construction, operation, and maintenance activities and reduce bat fatalities.
Regional Goals, Objectives, and Actions
Goal RC 1
Sustain resilient, connected natural communities for the full range of native species, habitats, and ecological functions in the RCIS area through the protection of large blocks of continuous habitat supporting sensitive species.Objective RC 1.1
Protect and preserve existing intact non-marine habitats and resources and allow for expansion of habitat by protecting suitable or occupied habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by the number of acres of habitat and adjacent/associated acres protected.Action RC 1.1.1
Acquire parcels with suitable habitat through fee title purchase or conservation easement.
Action RC 1.1.2
Conduct surveys using eDNA and/or traditional survey methods in suitable or potentially suitable habitat to locate undocumented occurrences of focal species and other conservation elements and opportunities for habitat protection, enhancement, restoration, and creation (USFWS 2008).
Action RC 1.1.3
Create and sustain long-term funding for protected areas maintenance.
Action RC 1.1.4
Establish an incentive program for private landowners to protect occurrences and manage habitat.
Action RC 1.1.5
Protect populations from impacts from construction, vegetation management, and/or activities, including by surveying areas such as roads/trails and implementing species protection measures.
Objective RC 1.2
Enhance occupied and suitable habitat. Measure progress towards achieving this objective by number of acres of habitat enhanced and/or occupied.Action RC 1.2.1
Manage current and future recreation access including off-road vehicles, biking, equestrian, foot traffic, and unleashed pets to reduce impacts and disturbance to sensitive species and habitats. Ensure recreation is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Enforcement and fencing may be used to prevent illegal off-road vehicle use (USFWS 2010).
Action RC 1.2.10
Work with private landowners and stakeholders to research species biology, threats, populations, densities, and/or ranges.
Action RC 1.2.11
Create/enhance connections between ecologically required habitat types, such as between aquatic breeding and upland dispersal habitats.
Action RC 1.2.2
Control non-native invasive species from occupied and/or suitable habitat, and areas designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as critical habitat throughout the RCIS area.
Action RC 1.2.3
Reduce/eliminate pesticide, rodenticide (especially first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides), and herbicide use, including for roadside vegetation removal projects as part of integrated pest management efforts in identified suitable habitat, and sensitive natural communities. Promote alternative pest reduction methods, such as promoting natural predator populations (Ventura County Public Works Agency 2017).
Action RC 1.2.4
Minimize impacts from native and non-native predator populations that have increased due to anthropogenic factors, including through educational outreach and trainings on how to safely coexist with native predators and predator removal programs where appropriate.
Action RC 1.2.5
Reduce anthropogenic impacts on habitat, including infrastructure construction and maintenance, inappropriate grazing, uncontrolled grazing, or overgrazing, off-road vehicles, foot traffic, fire suppression, recreational development and activities, non-native plants, and sand mining
Action RC 1.2.6
Manage infrastructure construction and maintenance projects, including transportation, solar energy facilities and projects on military properties, to be compatible for sensitive species.
Action RC 1.2.7
Manage grazing, including the installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, to ensure it is compatible with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences. Grazing in sensitive natural communities, public lands should be reduced.
Action RC 1.2.8
Reduce trash dumping in areas with suitable and future potentially suitable habitat and adjacent areas, and areas of known occurrences.
Action RC 1.2.9
Enhance and restore native vegetation in occupied habitat and suitable but unoccupied habitat.