Pacific Sheath-tailed Bat Assessments on Aguiguan and Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Research Task: 8327CN7.9.0
Task Manager: Ernest Valdez

The subspecies of Pacific sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata rotensis) in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is currently known to occur only on the small (7.2 km2), uninhabited island of Aguiguan. It has been documented to now be extinct elsewhere in the CNMI and Guam and is a candidate for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The purpose of this study is to assess the current status and natural history of the Pacific sheath–tailed bat on Aguiguan and select areas of Tinian. From this assessment, USGS scientists from the Fort Collins Science Center and the Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center, along with local collaborators, will be able to determine the current status and use of caves by the Pacific sheath-tailed bat; establish a baseline survey activity patterns and foraging habitat use through echolocation detectors and site-occupancy models; determine if bats move among roosts and foraging regions; establish baseline information on insects in this species' diet; and collect additional data and biological samples to increase understanding of its natural history.

 For more information contact Ernest Valdez