Bonneted Bat Acoustic Monitoring

In 2015, Earth Tech installed two bat houses on a site in south Collier county as a part of an onsite mitigation plan for the endangered Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus). Now, several years later, we finally have some residents! To determine the species of the bats, we are using some acoustic monitoring technology as pictured above. Bats communicate with echolocation, the use of high frequency sounds. The frequencies used vary among species, so by analyzing this acoustic data we hope to identify our new residents. Below is a photo of the bat house, also known as a roost.

The Florida bonneted bat has an extremely limited range – it can only be found in south Florida. It is the largest bat species in Florida. They will roost in tree cavities or man-made structures. In order to create a quality foraging habitat for the species, Earth Tech has removed all exotic vegetation from the area and cleared out much of the dense midstory.

As a protected species threatened in part by habitat destruction, bonneted bat surveys and permitting may be required if you are developing a site in Collier County. ETE ecologists are prepared to assist clients with these projects.