Mexico, by Vernon Bailey on July 23, 1904; type in United States
National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Smaller and paler than _Myotis v.
longicrus_.
_Measurements._--Four males and a female from the Blue Mountains,
Columbia County, average: total length 93; length of tail 41.5;
hind foot?; ear 12; height of tragus 6.3.
_Distribution._--Known only from the Blue Mountains area of the
southeastern part of the state, from Walla Walla (E. S. B.) east
to Anatone (Miller and Allen, 1928: 144).
_Remarks._--Of 5 specimens available from the Blue Mountains, 4
are like _interior_ and 1 is like _longicrus_.
[Illustration: FIG. 38. Distribution of the California myotis in
Washington. A. _Myotis californicus californicus._ B. _Myotis
californicus caurinus._]
=Myotis californicus= (Audubon and Bachman)
California myotis
_Description._--_Myotis californicus_ may be separated from all _Myotis_
that occur in Washington, except _Myotis subulatus_, by its small foot
(about 6 mm.). It is the only small-footed bat found in western
Washington. In eastern Washington, where _Myotis subulatus_ occurs, the
cleaned skulls of the two species must be compared before certain
identification of some specimens is possible. The skull of _M.
californicus_ possesses a higher cranium and more abruptly rising
forehead than that of _M. subulatus_.
Four geographic races of this bat recognized by Miller and Allen (1928:
149) range from southern Alaska southward over western North America to
southern Mexico. Two subspecies occur in Washington.
_Myotis californicus_, in western Washington, often occurs in company
with _Myotis yumanensis_, _lucifugus_, and _volans_. In flight it cannot
be distinguished from _M. yumanensis_ or _M. lucifugus_. Most of our
specimens were collected over water, for these bats usually fly rather
late and can be shot most easily where their reflection on the water
assists the hunter in aiming. They are usually not common, one or two
being taken at a single locality. This species, like _Myotis
yumanensis_, seems to drink salt water. On May 9, 1936, a living
specimen was caught under a loose piece of bark on a dead tree.
=Myotis californicus caurinus= Miller
_Vespertilio nitidus_ H. Allen, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia,
p. 247, 1862 (part of the specimens were from Fort Steilacoom,
Pierce Co., Washington).
_Myotis californicus caurinus_ Miller, N. Amer. Fauna, 13:72,
October 16, 1897.
_Type._--Obtained at Masset, Graham Island, Queen Charlotte
Islands, British Columbia, by J. H. Keen in 1895; type in United
States National Museum.
_Racial character._--Color reddish-brown.
[Illustration: FIG. 39. Distribution of the small-footed myotis,
_Myotis subulatus melanorhinus_, in Washington.]
_Measurements._--Eight specimens, including both sexes, from the
San Juan Islands, San Juan and Skagit counties, average: total
length 77.8; length of tail 36.7; hind foot 6.7; ear?; height of
tragus 7.6; weight 5.2 grams.
_Distribution._--Western Washington east through the northern
Cascades to Chelan, Blue Creek and Colville (Miller and Allen,
1928: 156) in northeastern Washington, and, farther south, east to
Mount Rainier (Miller and Allen, 1928: 156) and Carson (Miller and
Allen, 1928: 156).
=Myotis californicus californicus= (Audubon and Bachman)
_Vespertilio californicus_ Audubon and Bachman, Jour. Acad. Nat.
Sci., Philadelphia, 8 (ser. 1, ser. 1, pt. 2):285, 1842.
_Myotis californicus_ Miller, N. Amer. Fauna, 13:69, October 16,
1897.
_Type._--None designated. Type locality fixed at Monterey, Monterey
County, California, by Miller and Allen (1928: 153).
_Racial character._--Color pale.
_Measurements._--A female from Crooked River, Crook County,
Oregon, measures: Total length 80; length of tail 40; hind foot 7;
ear 13; height of tragus 5; weight 3.2 grams.
_Distribution._--Recorded only from the eastern part of the state.
Westernmost records, according to Miller and Allen (1928: 155)
are: Orondo, Goldendale and Lyle.
=Myotis subulatus melanorhinus= (Merriam)
Small-footed myotis
_Vespertilio melanorhinus_ Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 3:46, September
11, 1890.
_Myotis subulatus melanorhinus_ Miller and Allen, U. S. Nat. Mus.
Bull., 144:169, May 25, 1928.
_Type._--Obtained on San Francisco Mountain, 8250 ft. elevation,
Coconino County, Arizona, by C. H. Merriam and V. Bailey on August
4, 1889; type in United States National Museum.
_Measurements._--Three males and 2 females from eastern Washington
average: total length 77; length of tail 37; hind foot 7; ear 15;
height of tragus 8. One weighed 5.4 grams.
_Distribution._--Desert areas of eastern Washington, including the
Columbian Plateau and the lower Columbia River Valley. Marginal
records are: 5 mi. S Grand Coulee Dam (W. W. D.) in the north,
Wenatchee (W. W. D.) in the northwest, Lyle (W. W. D.) in the
southwest, and Bly (Miller and Allen, 1928: 171) in the southeast.
_Description._--_Myotis subulatus_ is closely similar to _Myotis
californicus_, but is more orange in color and has the skin on the face
more nearly black. Specimens cannot be identified with certainty until
the cleaned skulls are examined. The more flattened cranium and less
abruptly rising forehead separate _Myotis subulatus_ from _M.
californicus_.
This species is confined to the United States and northern Mexico. Two
races are recognized by Miller and Allen (1928), of which one occurs in
Washington. It is the commonest bat in the desert of eastern
Washington. It lives far from trees on plains and in sandy or rocky
areas, emerging rather early in the evening. It is not difficult to
shoot. Its flight is erratic. The animal usually hunts in large,
irregular circles at 10 to 25 feet from the ground. It has not been
found in its daytime retreat but may hide in crevices in rocky outcrops.
Near Vantage, Grant County, individuals were shot as they hung up in a
concrete underpass to digest food. The stomachs of specimens taken were
so crammed with the remains of insects that their abdomens were greatly
distended. The underpass seemed to be only a resting place, not
inhabited by day. Others were taken when they came to rest in the loft
of a barn at Selah, Yakima County. They usually did not arrive at the
barn until an hour after sunset and were still present there at
midnight.
=Lasionycteris noctivagans= (Le Conte)
Silver-haired bat
_V[espertilio]. noctivagans_ Le Conte, McMurtrie's Cuvier, Anim.
Kingd., 1:431, 1831.
_Vesperugo noctivagans_ True, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 7:602, 1885.
_Lasionycteris noctivagans_ Allen, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., 43:105,
March 14, 1894.
_Type._--None designated; described from a specimen obtained in the
"eastern United States."
_Measurements._--Five males from San Juan County, Washington,
average: total length 96.2; length of tail 46.4; hind foot 8.5;
ear 16; height of tragus 7.2; weight 8.2 grams.
_Distribution._--Forested areas of the entire state. This species
is migratory and first appears about the middle of May. September
15th is the latest recorded occurrence, when one was seen at
Seattle, King County. Marginal records are: Sportsmans Lake (W. W.
D.), in the northwest; Carson (Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 9) in the
southwest; Pass Creek Pass (W. W. D.) in the northeast; and Bly
(Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 9) in the southeast.
_Remarks._--The chocolate-brown color phase of the silver-haired bat is
most common east of the Cascade Mountains, while almost all specimens
from western Washington represent the black phase.
This medium-sized bat is the darkest-colored species living in the
state, ranging from chocolate-brown to nearly black. Numerous
white-tipped hairs give the upper parts a frosted appearance. The upper
surface of the interfemoral membrane is well furred, a character shared
only with _Lasiurus_. The dental formula (i. 2-2/3-3, c. 1-1/1-1, p.
2-2/3-3, m. 3-3/3-3 = 36) is the same as that of _Corynorhinus_. The
small ears and short tragus immediately distinguish the silver-haired
bat from the long-eared bat.
The genus _Lasionycteris_ contains but a single species, of which no
geographic races have been described. It ranges across North America
from coast to coast and from central Canada southward, in forested
areas, nearly to Mexico. This species is known to be migratory, and
southern records probably do not represent breeding individuals.
In Washington these bats have been taken in the Transition, Canadian,
and Hudsonian life-zones. They were found near clearings in forests of
open pine woods in the arid section of eastern Washington, near mountain
hemlock thickets in the high mountains, and in the dense rain-forests of
the Pacific Coastal area.
[Illustration: FIG. 40. Distribution of the silver-haired bat.
_Lasionycteris noctivagans_, in Washington.]
The size and flight of the silver-haired bats are distinctive, and after
some experience it is possible to identify them in the air. It is an
early flier, usually appearing just after the swallows roost. They fly
at a considerable height, rarely coming within forty feet of the ground.
The wings are moved with a "fluttery" motion, and their flight is
interrupted by frequent short glides. They fly more rapidly than the big
brown-bats, and twist and dart sideways more frequently. Compared with
big brown-bats, silver-haired bats are relatively gregarious, and six to
a dozen individuals were seen in the same area. They generally hunt in
sweeping circles, from fifty to one hundred yards in diameter. In the
daytime the silver-haired bats hide beneath slabs of loose bark on dead
trees. Near Cottage Lake, King County, two individuals were found
beneath the bark on an old, lightning-blasted stub. The dark color of
the bats blended with the charred surface of the stub.
This species feeds mainly on forest insects and for this reason is
probably of considerable value to man. The stomachs of specimens were
usually crammed with the remains of small, soft-bodied insects.
=Corynorhinus rafinesquii= (Lesson)
Long-eared bat
_Description._--Diagnostic characters of the long-eared bat are: medium
size (total length about 4 inches); dull, grayish-brown color;
exceptionally long ears (over 1 inch from notch); thin, tissue-like
membranes; and paired "lumps" on the rostrum. The dental formula is: i.
2-2/3-3, c. 1-1/1-1, p. 2-2/3-3, m. 3-3/3-3 = 36.
[Illustration: FIG. 41. Long-eared bat (_Corynorhinus rafinesquii
intermedius_), female with young; Boulder Cave, Kittitas County,
Washington, July 20, 1928. (Fish and Wildlife Service photo by T. H.
Scheffer, No. B-33332.)]
Long-eared bats range from southern British Columbia to southern Mexico.
Three species are listed by Miller (1924: 82), one of which
(_rafinesquii_) is divisible into five geographic races.
This bat is colonial and is not uncommonly found in caves, mine shafts,
and darkened attics of old buildings. It is of scattered distribution
throughout the state. In Washington its distribution in winter is
unknown. A specimen from Friday Harbor, San Juan County, taken in March,
1936, indicates that it hibernates in the state. Whitlow and Hall
(1933: 245) give a detailed account of individuals found hibernating in
winter near Pocatello, Idaho.
[Illustration: FIG. 42. Entrance to Boulder Cave, inhabited by
long-eared bats (_Corynorhinus_); Kittitas County, Washington, May 26,
1938. (Fish and Wildlife Service photo by Victor B. Scheffer, No. 56.)]
John K. Townsend (1839: 325) mentions that the "great-eared bat" at the
forts of the Columbia River district (Fort Vancouver) were protected by
the "gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay Company for their services in
destroying the _dermestes_ which abound in their fur establishments."
Townsend mentions also that the long-eared bats seldom left the
"storehouses attached to the forts," even at night. My own observations
are similar, in that at Boulder Cave, Kittitas County, on July 7, 1936,
when not less than 100 long-eared bats were present in the cave, I
watched the entrances to the cave until an hour after dark but no bats
were seen to emerge. All of the specimens available from Washington were
caught in their daytime hiding place. The number of long-eared bats at
Boulder Cave has decreased in recent years. On July 12, 1930, bats were
so abundant that 90 were captured with a single sweep of a butterfly net
(T. H. Scheffer, 1930: 11). On July 7, 1936, it was estimated that there
were slightly more than 100 in the cave. On June 11, 1937, the number
was less, probably about 75.
Little is known of the food habits of the long-eared bat. The stomach of
a specimen from Blakeley Island, San Juan County, was crammed with the
remains of insects, including the wing scales of _Lepidoptera_ and the
wings of small Diptera.
Scheffer noted that the long-eared bats at Boulder Cave were nearly
ready to give birth to young on July 12, 1930, and were carrying naked
young a week later. On July 7, 1936, at the same locality, females
contained nearly full-term embryos.
[Illustration: FIG. 43. Distribution of the long-eared bat in
Washington. A. _Corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii._ B. _Corynorhinus
rafinesquii intermedius._]
=Corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii= (Cooper)
_Plecotus townsendii_ Cooper, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. New York, 4:73,
November, 1837.
_Corynorhinus macrotis townsendii_ Miller, N. Amer. Fauna, 13:53,
October 16, 1897.
_Corynorhinus megalotis townsendii_ G. M. Allen, Bull. Mus. Comp.
Zoöl., 60:344, April, 1916.
_Corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii_ Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus.
Bull., 128:82, April 29, 1924.
_Type._--Probably obtained at Fort Vancouver, Clark County,
Washington; type not now in existence.
_Racial character._--Dark color.
_Measurements._--A male from Blakeley Island, San Juan County,
measured: total length 83; length of tail 43; hind foot 8.5; ear
37.4; tragus 15.1; weight 10 grams.
_Distribution._--Western Washington, from Blakeley Island (W. W.
D.) in the north, south to Seattle (W. W. D.) and Fort Vancouver.
=Corynorhinus rafinesquii intermedius= H. W. Grinnell
_Corynorhinus rafinesquii intermedius_ H. W. Grinnell, Univ.
California Publ. Zoöl., 12:320, December 4, 1914.
_Corynorhinus rafinesquii townsendii_ Dalquest, Jour. Mamm.,
19:213, May 14, 1938.
_Type._--Obtained at Auburn, Placer County, California, by J. C.
Hawver on July 31, 1909; type in Museum of Vertebrate Zoölogy.
_Racial characters._--Paler and duller than _townsendii_.
_Measurements._--One male and 6 females from 15 miles east of
Tonasket, Okanogan County, average: total length 96, length of
tail 47; hind foot 11; ear 35.5; tragus 14.
_Distribution._--Scattered localities in the arid subdivision of
the Transition Life-zone of eastern Washington, from 15 mi. E
Tonasket (W. W. D.) on the north to Boulder Cave (W. W. D.) on the
west and Spokane (W. S. C.) on the east.
_Remarks._--Of specimens in the University of Kansas, Museum of Natural
History, those from Selah (not plotted on distribution map), Yakima
County, are paler than those from Boulder Cave, Yakima County, but both
series are paler than specimens from the coast of Oregon.
[Illustration: FIG. 44. Distribution of the western pipistrelle,
_Pipistrellus hesperus hesperus_, in Washington.]
=Pipistrellus hesperus hesperus= (H. Allen)
Western pipistrelle
_Scotophilus hesperus_ H. Allen, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., 7 (no.
165):43, June, 1864.
_Vesperugo hesperus_ True, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 7:602, 1885.
_Pipistrellus hesperus_ Miller, N. Amer. Fauna, 13:88, October 16,
1897.
_Type._--Obtained at Old Fort Yuma, Imperial County, California, by
G. H. Thomas; catalogued in U. S. National Museum on October 31,
1861.
_Measurements._--A specimen from Maryhill, Klickitat County,
measures: total length 68; length of tail 27; hind foot 7; ear 10;
height of tragus 3; weight 4.2 grams. Two males from Vantage,
Grant County, average: 68.5; 27.5; 6; 11; 4.
_Distribution._--Known only from along the Snake and Columbia
rivers of south-central Washington; recorded from Vantage
(W.W.D.), south to Maryhill (M.V.Z.), and east to Almota (Taylor
and Shaw, 1929: 9).
_Description._--This is the smallest bat found in Washington, its body
being approximately 1-3/4 inches long and the tail 1-1/4. It may be
separated from _Myotis_ by the bent tragus and by the possession of 34
rather than 38 teeth. The dental formula is: i. 2-2/3-3, c. 1-1/1-1, p.
2-2/2-2, m. 3-3/3-3 = 34.
The genus _Pipestrellus_ is cosmopolitan in distribution. The few
records for the single subspecies found in Washington indicate that it
is a casual, though probably regular, summer visitant from the south.
Two western pipistrelles were shot at Vantage, Grant County, on July 23,
1937. They flew in slow circles about 50 feet from the ground. No
breeding records are known from the state.
=Eptesicus fuscus bernardinus= Rhoads
Big brown-bat
_Eptesicus fuscus bernardinus_ Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 1901:619, February 6, 1902.
_Eptesicus fuscus pallidus_ Engels, Amer. Midland Nat., 17:656,
May, 1936 (part specimens from Washington).
_Type._--Obtained near San Bernardino, San Bernardino County,
California, by R. B. Herron on May 26, 1893; type in Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
_Measurements._--Three males and 5 females from Washington
average: total length 117; length of tail 48; hind foot 11.5; ear
18.3; height of tragus 9.
_Distribution._--Forested areas of the entire state of Washington.
Marginal localities are San Juan Island (W.W.D.) in the northwest,
Carson (Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 9), in the southwest, Newport
(W.W.D.) in the northeast, and Grand Ronde River (Taylor and Shaw,
1929: 9) in the southeast.
_Remarks._--Specimens from both eastern and western Washington vary
greatly in color, and series of specimens from eastern Washington
average little, if any, paler than series from western Washington.
Washington specimens most closely resemble specimens from California of
the race _bernardinus_ and average darker than _pallidus_.
_Description._ The big brown-bat may be distinguished from other bats by
its large size (about 4-1/2 inches), rich, brown color, and small ears
(reaching only to nostril when laid forward). It possesses 32 teeth, the
dental formula being: i. 2-2/3-3, c. 1-1/1-1, p. 1-1/2-2, m. 3-3/3-3 =
32.
Bats of the genus _Eptesicus_ are cosmopolitan in distribution. A single
species occurs in North America, of which Engels (1936) recognizes four
races in western United States.
[Illustration: FIG. 45. Distribution of the big brown-bat, _Eptesicus
fuscus bernardinus_, in Washington.]
The big brown-bat appears early in the evening, often before the
swallows have retired. This, and its large size, makes it relatively
easy to study. It is principally a forest bat but also is found in towns
and cities. It is common in Seattle and hunts around street lights and
about the trees in the city parks. In its more natural habitat it flies
over trees and clearings. Big brown-bats were repeatedly timed, with a
car's speedometer, at 17 miles an hour as they flew down a road lined
with tall trees. This is a greater speed than that at which they
usually hunt. When the speed of the car was increased the bats dodged
sideways, around the car. At lesser speeds they pulled ahead and
escaped.
Big brown-bats are less gregarious, when hunting, than some bats. One or
two may be found in a small area, the limits of which are definitely
fixed. We noted this repeatedly near Cottage Lake, King County, where
the big brown-bats hunted along roads through second-growth conifers.
The bats patrolled back and forth along a section of a road about a
quarter of a mile in length. When a bat reached the end of its personal
territory, it would wheel and return. On six successive trips a bat
turned, to retrace its course, at points less than 50 feet distant from
the point of the first turn. When the bat approached the turning point
on the seventh trip, a bat from the adjoining strip of road approached
the area. The two animals fluttered about each other with shrill
squeaks, audible 50 feet away. The fluttering and squeaking continued
for nearly a minute, after which both bats resumed their hunting.
Darkness concluded the observations.
On several occasions we stood on a road patrolled by a big brown-bat.
The bat immediately detected the watcher and fluttered about his head
and face. Big brown-bats ignore other species of bats hunting on their
territory. Indeed, such comparatively slow flyers could scarcely drive
the more speedy bats away.
Two _Eptesicus_, kept in captivity for several weeks, exhibited very
different personalities. One was shy and sullen. It cowered in the back
of its cage and attempted to bite when handled. It would eat only small
quantities of finely scraped liver tendered to it on a spoon. If a bit
of liver adhered to its face it would shake violently and refuse to eat
more. When it had eaten its fill, it would seize the spoon in its teeth
and spill the remaining food. The second specimen was tame and greedy.
It ate insects, liver, earthworms, and even pieces of flesh. After two
days in captivity it learned to come to the door of its cage at a
person's approach and open its mouth, in anticipation of food. If it
dropped bits of liver on which it was chewing it would descend from the
top of its cage to retrieve them, squeaking indignantly while doing so.
It also descended to the floor of the cage to lap water from a dish. It
habitually hung head downward from the roof of its cage, but reversed
its position when evacuating urine or feces. Engler (1943: 96)
discovered that big brown-bats will kill and eat smaller bats, at least
in captivity.
=Lasiurus cinereus cinereus= (Beauvois)
Hoary bat
_Vespertilio cinereus_ (misspelled _linereus_) Beauvois, Catal.
Raisonné Mus. Peale, Philadelphia, 1796:18 (p. 15 of English
edition by Peale and Beauvois).
_Lasiurus cinereus_ H. Allen, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., 7 (no.
165): 21, 1864.
_Atalapha cinerea_ True, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 7:602, 1885.
_Type._--None designated. Type locality Pennsylvania, probably near
Philadelphia.
_Measurements._--Ten specimens from California average: Total
length 130.5; length of tail 54.8; hind foot 10.7; ear 16; height
of tragus 9.5; weight (of 3) 20.4 grams.
_Distribution._--Recorded from Seattle (W.S.M.) to the north,
Westport (W.S.M.) to the west and Pullman (W.S.M.) to the east.
[Illustration: FIG. 46. Record stations for the hoary bat, _Lasiurus
cinerea_, in Washington.]
_Remarks._--The hoary bat is the largest and most distinctively
marked kind of bat in the state. Adults are usually more than 5
inches in total length. The fur is exceptionally long and soft. The
wing-membranes are thick and leathery. The posterior half of the
wing-membrane is black; the anterior half is pale. The interfemoral
membrane is furred. Dorsally the color of the fur is mottled white and
seal-brown, giving a silvery-gray effect. The ears are short and thick;
the feet short and wide. The dental formula is: i. 1-1/3-3, c. 1-1/1-1,
p. 2-2/2-2, m. 3-3/3-3 = 32.
The genus _Lasiurus_ is found in North America, South America, and the
Hawaiian Islands. _Lasiurus cinereus_ ranges from British Columbia to
southern South America. Osgood (1943: 53) records two subspecies from
Chile.
Information on the natural history of the hoary bat is meager. It was
observed in the Kettle River Mountains, but none was obtained. It flew
erratically and rapidly and did not appear until darkness had set in.
At least two were seen above a road through a forest of western larch
and ponderosa pine. Probably it breeds in the mountains of northeastern
Washington and in the northern Cascades.
The hoary bat is migratory, leaving the state in August and September,
rarely lingering until early October. It winters along the coast of
central and southern California (Dalquest, 1943: 23).
=Antrozous pallidus cantwelli= Bailey