Hosts: Bree K. McMurray (Missouri Department of Transportation), Megan
York-Harris (Mark Twain National Forest), and Anthony G. Elliott (Missouri Department of
Conservation).

The eighth annual Blat Blitz was held 9-13 August 2009 in southeastern Missouri
on lands administered by the Mark Twain National Forest, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(Lake Wappapello Project Office), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Mingo National
Wildlife Refuge) and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Baseline data were
collected for Mingo and two Missouri Department of Conservation properties and
supplemental data for the Mark Twain National Forest and Corps of Engineers.

Fifty-five participants from 15 states were assisted by 25 local support staff
members. Thirty-five survey sites distributed across properties owned by the four land
management agencies were sampled over the course of 3 nights. Trapping sites ranged from
upland oak-hickory forest to bottomland forest. Roads, trails, ponds and wetland
drainage ditches served as netting sites.

Six hundred twenty bats were captured representing 12 of the 14 species likely to
occur in the area. Two endangered species (Myotis sodalis and M.
grisescens) and three state species of concern (M. austroriparius,
Lasiurus seminolus, and Corynorhinus rafinesquii) were among those
captured. Radiotelemetry was used to locate roost trees for a post-lactating female
M. sodalis and a building roost for C. rafinesquii. Species and the
number of each captured were: M. austroriparius (1), C. rafinesquii (1),
L. cinereus (1), M. lucifugus (1), M. grisescens (3), M.
sodalis (3), L. seminolus (3), Eptesicus fuscus (13), M.
septentrionalis (49), Perimyotis subflavus (72), L. borealis (203),
and Nycticeius humeralis (270).

Tissue and hair samples were collected for molecular genetics and stable isotope
analysis. Occurrence data will be used to inform management decisions and build research
and monitoring programs for participating agencies.

The Blitz was a cooperative effort between SBDN, Mark Twain National Forest, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of
Conservation, and Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service .