Bats of the Rocky Mountain West: Natural History, Ecology, and Conservation

by Rick A. Adams

Since antiquity, bats have been misunderstood and shrouded in mystery. Given misnomers such as fledermaus ("flying mouse") and murciegalo ("blind mouse"), these nocturnal flying mammals were even classified as primates by the great Carl Linnaeus, based on his knowledge of the anatomy of large Old World fruit bats. In this beautifully illustrated volume, bat specialist Rick A. Adams delves into bats' true nature and the roles these fascinating ledurblaka ("leather flutterers") play in the natural history and ecology of the Rocky Mountain West. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West begins with a general discussion of bat biology and evolution as well as regional physiography and zoogeography. In addition, Adams describes—based on the results of extensive research—the behavior and ecology of the 31 species of bats found in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Naturalists and biologists alike will benefit from the detailed species descriptions, color photographs and illustrations, distribution maps, and echolocation sonograms. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West is a unique and valuable reference for professional bat biologists, naturalists, and wildlife enthusiasts interested in the conservation and ecology of bats in the region.

328 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[Sam Ley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Above average field reference! We have a lot if bat books that have good pictures and interesting info, but most don't go into great detail. This guide is easy to use for beginners, but has useful info for specialists as well, such as spectrographs of their calls, detailed habitat data, etc.

[Andrew Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, well-researched book full of details about the Rocky Mountains and the bats that inhabit them

[Jason Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitive book about bats in the Rocky Mountain region and their behavior. Written before Pd/white-nose syndrome was discovered.