Voles are key mammals in understanding how social interactions can affect large-scale population processes. Previous studies have shown that at high population densities, meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) have a lower proportion of breeding animals, higher average corticosterone levels, and can be limited by female territorial spacing. Based on this, we compared corticosterone levels and spatial use between breeding and nonbreeding freeranging adult meadow voles within populations. We measured intrasexual spatial overlap to examine if breeding females minimize occupying the same areas as other females, and noninvasively assessed corticosterone levels using fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs). We found that female meadow voles have much lower intrasexual spatial overlap than males, even though both sexes have similar range sizes, and that females have generally higher FCM levels than males. However, breeding and nonbreeding females did not differ from one another in spatial use or in FCM levels. Conversely, reproductive classes of males differed greatly in all measures: nonbreeding males had FCM levels that were two times higher than those of breeding males, occupied a smaller range, and had lower spatial overlap, indicating they were moving less widely than breeding males. We additionally validated an enzyme immunoassay for noninvasively measuring FCMs in meadow voles. The assay was successful in detecting an increase in corticosterone stimulated by adrenocorticotropic hormone injection; however, dexamethasone did not induce negative feedback. FCMs reflect circulating corticosterone levels approximately 5 h prior. These results highlight differences in FCMs and spacing in meadow voles related to sex and reproductive status, and reflect the respective strategies males and females employ during the breeding season.

Various mammalian taxa have evolved different morphological adaptations to aid in preventing death by predators, including spines, quills, dermal plates, and noxious chemical sprays. The development of these traits has previously been linked to intermediate body size, an openness of habitat, and smaller relative brain sizes, as well as a low metabolic rate and insectivorous diet. One family, Tenrecidae, contains several species that have evolved spines despite a small body size. We investigated the ecological factors that favored the evolution of spines within this group, focusing on conspicuousness to predators through body size and openness of habitat. We compiled hair and spine measurements along with natural history data and ran comparative phylogenetic analyses to study the morphological and ecological factors that favored the evolution of these antipredator defenses. We show that as tenrecs evolved a larger body size and moved into a more open habitat, they were more likely to evolve spines, and as more robust spines evolved, relative brain size decreased. We discuss the suite of changes that occur during the transition from non-spiny forest-dwelling tenrecs into larger spiny tenrecines with smaller brains and aposematic coloration.

Fluorescence of visible wavelengths under ultraviolet (UV) light has been previously detected in a wide range of birds, reptiles, and amphibians and a few marsupial mammals. Here, we report the discovery of vivid UV fluorescence of the pelage in Glaucomys, the New World flying squirrels. Fluorescence in varying intensities of pink was observed in females and males of all extant species (G. oregonensis, G. sabrinus, and G. volans) across all sampled geographic areas in North and Central America and a temporal range of 130 years. We observed fluorescence in museum specimens (n = 109) and wild individuals (n = 5) on both dorsal and ventral surfaces. Museum specimens of three co-occurring, diurnal sciurid species (Sciurus carolinensis, S. niger, and Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) were also examined but did not fluoresce. The ecological significance of this trait in the nocturnal–crepuscular flying squirrels warrants further investigation.

Largely shallow and putatively explosive divergences in the family Leporidae (rabbits and hares; order: Lagomorpha) have resulted in phylogenetic relationships that remain currently unresolved. These rapid radiations in different branches of the leporid tree have resulted in conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses. However, this phylogenetic incongruence may also result from inadequate taxon or character sampling, due to the high number of extinct and difficult to sample extant species, and highly conserved morphological characters. Sylvilagus (cottontail rabbits) constitute about 30% of the known extant leporid species. New species are routinely being recognized, and phylogenetic relationships with respect to other leporid genera, and within the genus, have failed to be recovered with certainty. Within Sylvilagus, the South American S. brasiliensis is the most widespread and poorly known taxon, likely comprising multiple species. Here, we reanalyze previously published molecular data from phylogenetic studies on Leporidae, focusing on the S. brasiliensis group, and assessing phylogenetic relationships using bifurcating trees and split networks to identify phylogenetic regions with polytomies. We estimate differentiation and phylogenetic relationships of molecular lineages within the S. brasiliensis group. Our analyses suggest that this group contains a number of divergent taxa, well differentiated from other cottontail species. We discern two major polytomies during leporid diversification. The first, at the base of the leporid radiation, likely resulted from a combination of hard (rapid radiation) and soft polytomies (high number of unsampled extinct species). The second polytomy likely resulted from a rapid radiation during the initial diversification of the genus Sylvilagus. We conclude that only a molecular phylogeny based on a broader taxonomic representation will fully resolve leporid phylogeny.

The Hispaniolan solenodon, Solenodon paradoxus, and Hispaniolan hutia, Plagiodontia aedium, are the Dominican Republic's only surviving endemic non-volant land mammals, and are high priorities for conservation. The country has an extensive protected area (PA) network designed to maintain habitats and benefit biodiversity, but which faces significant anthropogenic threats likely to detrimentally impact both species. We examined how differences in habitats, forest structure, topography, and human activity influence presence of solenodons and hutias across the Dominican Republic. Systematic surveys of seven PAs were undertaken to record indirect signs, with presence-absence data analyzed using a multi-model inference approach incorporating ecological variables from both field and GIS data. Solenodons were detected relatively frequently, whereas detections of hutias were uncommon. Lower elevations, increased surrounding tree cover, canopy closure, and reduced levels of low vegetation are all associated with increased probability of detecting solenodons, whereas agriculture and mangrove represent poor-quality habitat. Increased canopy closure, tree basal area (indicating older-growth forest), and increased rock substrate (providing more den sites) are associated with increased probability of detecting hutias. Our findings indicated that human activities within PAs are likely to negatively affect both species, and conservation activities should focus on preventing encroachment and conversion of forest to agriculture to maintain high-quality forest habitats.

Located at the crossroad of the Palearctic, Saharo-Arabian, and Oriental zoogeographic realms, and with its great environmental diversity, Iran harbors a high complexity and richness of fauna and flora. Knowledge about the Iranian mammal fauna has greatly increased over recent years thanks to the growing availability of molecular tools, which brought marked changes in taxonomy, but also because of intensive field surveys resulting in growing distributional data. These data are, however, scattered throughout numerous publications and unpublished sources, most of which are difficult to access. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the current mammal species taxonomies with an update on systematics and their spatial distribution based on all possible sources spanning the period between 1758 and today. We updated the geographical distribution of all Iranian land mammals, providing their regional extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, as well as mapped species richness. Based on this information, we then assessed the conservation status of Iran's mammals using the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List criteria, providing a regional status assessment. The current species list of terrestrial mammals of Iran comprises 192 species from 34 families, of which eight species are endemics. Since the publication of Karami et al. (2008), 13 new species or new records have been added to the mammals of Iran and 32 changes in classification or nomenclature have been made. The Alborz and Zagros mountains accumulate the highest species richness. Nearly 13% of the species in Iran are threatened, and a further 14% are near to qualifying for threatened status. With the current review, we provide an up-to-date summary of the current knowledge about the terrestrial mammals of Iran that can serve as a guideline for mammalogists, a reference for monitoring regional biodiversity status and trends, and a framework for planning management actions to sustain biodiversity conservation.

The Heermann's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni; Rodentia: Heteromyidae) is a Californian endemic primarily found in the dry, gravelly grassland and open chaparral habitats of the San Joaquin Valley. Current taxonomy (based on morphology and habitat use) recognizes nine subspecies within this kangaroo rat species. Management practices of D. heermanni primarily are based on this classification, but this taxonomy may not accurately reflect unique lineages in need of conservation. Using molecular and morphological data, we performed a phylogeographic assessment of D. heermanni across the full geographic range of the species. Phylogenetic and network analyses of mitochondrial data from over 90 museum specimens (representing all nine subspecies distributed across the range of the species) revealed no substantial genetic differentiation within D. heermanni. Similarly, a geometric morphometric analysis of the crania of over 200 adult D. heermanni museum specimens (again representing all subspecies across the geographic distribution of species) resulted in no apparent morphological clustering across geography. Our results indicate that recognition of none of the nine subspecies is warranted and that conservation and management practices of D. heermanni are in need of revision.

Crocidura suaveolens is a rare, habitat-specialist species in the Gulf of Cádiz (southwestern Iberia), the southwesternmost limit of its distributional range. In this region, it is present only in six tidal marshes distributed in four isolated areas as a result of competitive exclusion by C. russula. These rear-edge populations of C. suaveolens could have a high conservation value because they are predicted to contain high and unique genetic diversity, given their isolation in climatic refugia through Quaternary climatic oscillation. Here, we performed a genetic characterization of these populations using 10 microsatellite loci as a first assessment of their conservation status and to guide their conservation and management. A total of six genetic clusters of C. suaveolens were identified, corresponding to the six marshes sampled. Levels of differentiation among them were correlated with geographic distance, except for the high differentiation of one site (Estero Domingo Rubio [EDR]) despite its close proximity to two other sites (Tinto and Odiel), probably as a consequence of recent anthropic isolation. However, moderate levels of local and high levels of regional genetic diversity were observed, making the Gulf of Cádiz a region with a great evolutionary potential to face future threats. The four isolated tidal marsh areas occupied by the species should be treated as management units.

Short-tailed opossums of the nominotypical subgenus Monodelphis occur throughout most of the cis-Andean lowlands of tropical South America. Among its member species, a monophyletic group that includes M. glirina (Amazonian red-sided opossum), M. sanctaerosae (Santa Rosa short-tailed opossum), and an unnamed taxon, herein referred to as the Monodelphis glirina group, is the focus of this paper. I provide an emended diagnosis for species of the group, information about geographic variation in M. glirina (including M. maraxina [Marajó short-tailed opossum]), and a formal description for the unnamed taxon mentioned above. The new species, known from two savanna localities in northeastern Roraima, is geographically disjunct from its closer relatives, M. glirina and M. sanctaerosae, only known to occur south of the Amazon. The new species differs from other congeneric taxa by a set of morphological characters and by DNA sequences.

Eight species of the bat genus Eptesicus are distributed in South America of which four are known from Argentina. Here, we describe a new species, based on specimens collected from La Rioja Province, and one specimen from Mendoza Province, Argentina, deposited in a museum collection. This new species of Eptesicus can be distinguished from other congeners by its golden to yellowish-brown coloration, strong contrast between dorsal and ventral fur color, long forearm (> 41 mm), and by the relatively short (∼ 6 mm) dorsal fur. A detailed description of the external and cranial morphology of the new species, as well as comparisons with other species of similar size, and present in the same distributional area, are included. A Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test and a discriminant linear function analysis were performed to assess the morphometric differences among species of Eptesicus. The phylogenies obtained by different criteria, as well as those obtained independently from different genes, are in agreement with regard to the relationships of the new species.

The number of Pithecia species has considerably increased in recent years. In the first comprehensive taxonomic revision for the genus, five species were recognized, among these, Pithecia irrorata, with two subspecies: P. irrorata irrorata and P. irrorata vanzolinii. These subspecies were elevated to full species in the most recent taxonomic revision of the genus, which was based primarily on pelage color. Additionally, it was proposed that P. irrorata was a group of undescribed species, and three additional species were described from P. irrorata: P. mittermeieri, P. rylandsi, and P. pissinattii. However, diagnoses and geographic distributions are not well defined for the species proposed, bringing confusion to subsequent studies. To address the current hypothesis on the species diversity in the P. irrorata species group, we conducted comparative analyses using the same source of evidence: pelage color variation. Material analyzed includes specimens throughout the distribution of the group in Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Based on our results, we recognize two groups that are morphologically diagnosable and correspond to geographically isolated populations. The senior names available for these groups are P. irrorata and P. vanzolinii. We recognize P. mittermeieri, P. rylandsi, and P. pissinattii as junior synonyms of P. irrorata. We also discuss some taxonomic inaccuracies regarding the type localities and type material for the senior and junior names, provide synonymy lists based on extensive literature review, and provide distribution maps for the valid species we recognized.

Penis morphology of 12 species of endemic New Guinean dasyurid marsupials, including the five currently recognized species of Murexia (M. habbema, M. melanurus, M. naso, M. longicaudata, and M. rothschildi); Phascolosorex dorsalis and Ph. doriae; Neophascogale lorentzii; and the four species of Myoictis (My. melas, My. wallacei, My. wavicus, and My. leucura), are described. Differences in form of the tip of the penis can be used to identify some of the species. The levator muscles are small in Murexia, Phascolosorex, and Neophascogale, and large in Myoictis. All species of Myoictis have accessory corpora cavernosa, which form an appendage to the penis. The anatomy of the penis of Myoictis spp. confirms a close relationship with the Australian dasyurid marsupial Parantechinus apicalis, as shown by a recent molecular study. Accessory corpora cavernosa appear to have arisen independently three times within the Dasyurinae.

Ethanol storage and lipid extraction can alter the isotopic composition of animal tissues, which can bias dietary estimates calculated by stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs). We examined the effects of ethanol storage and lipid extraction on δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ³⁴S values measured in brown bear (Ursus arctos) muscles and livers. We also used isotopic data from our experiment to understand the effect of ethanol storage and lipid extraction on dietary contributions calculated by SIMMs. We found that ethanol storage and lipid extraction caused small increases in δ¹³C values for both muscles (ethanol storage: +0.4 ± 0.5‰, lipid extraction: +0.4 ± 0.4‰) and liver (ethanol storage: +0.6 ± 0.3‰, lipid extraction: +0.8 ± 0.5‰). In contrast, δ¹⁵N and δ³⁴S values did not change when stored in ethanol or when lipids were extracted from tissues. Ethanol storage and lipid extraction had negligible effects on estimated dietary contributions. We show that a relatively high lipid content in the muscles and livers of some large-bodied terrestrial omnivores do not necessarily have an effect on dietary estimates that rely on carbon stable isotopes. Our results suggest that ethanol storage could be a valuable alternative method for preserving animal tissue prior to stable isotope analysis when freezing or drying is impractical. Nevertheless, further research is needed on the mechanisms that control changes in stable isotope composition in tissues stored in ethanol. We recommend investigating the effects of ethanol on stable isotope values in species and tissues of interest before storing samples in ethanol.

Understanding animal movement patterns is fundamental to ecology, as it allows inference about species' habitat preferences and their niches. Such knowledge also underpins our ability to predict how animals may respond to environmental change, including habitat loss and modification. Data-logging devices such as GPS trackers and accelerometers are rapidly becoming cheaper and smaller, allowing movement at fine scales to be recorded on a broad range of animal species. We examined movement patterns of an arboreal mammal (bobuck, Trichosurus cunninghami) in a highly fragmented forest ecosystem. The GPS data showed males travelled greater distances than females in linear roadside strip habitats, but not in forest fragments. The accelerometer data showed that both sexes exhibited higher activity levels in roadside habitats compared to forest fragments. By coupling GPS and accelerometer data, we uncovered for this species an ecological pattern similar to other mammals: that male bobucks had higher activity levels than females for a given distance travelled. Our findings also suggest that habitat fragmentation changes the amount and type of activity bobucks perform while moving, and that linear forest strips could be considered “energetically challenging” habitats, which informs how we should manage the spatial distribution of key supplementary resources for this species such as nest sites and minimum fragment sizes.

Rising ambient temperatures associated with global climate change threaten the persistence of numerous species of wildlife. Moose (Alces alces), for instance, are purported to experience heat stress occurring when ambient temperatures rise above specific seasonal temperature thresholds. These temperature thresholds, however, were established in a study that linked physiological changes in thermoregulation to ambient temperatures among a small study group of captive-reared moose. Here, we quantified movement rate of 127 moose GPS-tracked during summer from 2006 to 2010 in central Norway as a function of ambient temperature. We found little evidence of a threshold response in moose movement in relation to rising ambient temperatures during summer. We did, however, detect differences in moose movement in relation to temperature variation between daylight and twilight–night periods. Moose increased their movement in the twilight–night period when ambient temperatures were high, suggesting a compensatory response to climate variation. Our analysis identifies that dynamics of moose movement in relation to ambient temperature are complex and may not be well correlated with temperature thresholds that were previously described.

Ecologically relevant multi-temporal-scale frameworks elucidate whether patterns of animal activity (movement) are distinct at different temporal scales. We studied fishers (Pekania pennanti) fitted with transmitter collars that measured activity at high temporal resolution during winter in Wisconsin. A multi-temporal-scale framework with two scales, day (number of activity bouts per 24 h) and decision (time spent exploring a small area), revealed that the best models of fisher activity were different at different temporal scales. At the day scale, the fishers that we studied increased activity when temperatures were warmer and increased activity more when it was windy and cold than when it was windy and warm. At the decision scale, when wind speeds increased, female fishers reduced activity more than male fishers. The role of temperature on activity was only detected at the day scale, and intersexual variation was only detected at the decision scale. Results at both scales supported the prey synchrony hypothesis for activity, but support was mixed at the day scale. Assessing activity using a multi-temporal-scale analysis framework leads to a better understanding of factors that influence activity and biological fitness.

Globally, the African wild ass (Equus africanus) is at risk of extinction in the wild. Major threats to its survival are hunting, competition with livestock, and interbreeding with the domestic donkey. An important but rare population exists on the Messir Plateau in the Danakil ecosystem of Eritrea. Long-term data on reproduction and survival rate of African wild asses are limited, making it difficult to predict the population trend. Therefore, we assessed the population's potential viability given certain assumptions. An age-structured matrix model was used to project the population growth rate generated by assumed vital rates. The probability of population persistence over 50 years was estimated allowing for stochastic dynamics, density dependence, influences of rainfall on carrying capacity, and episodic disturbances reducing survival rates. Scenarios used either historical rainfall patterns or potential future rainfall with the same or amplified coefficient of variation. We contrasted two estimates of carrying capacity based either on recent population assessments, or on the potential capacity of the study site. Our models also compared realistic versus optimistic scenarios for age at first reproduction and potential longevity. The probability of persistence of a population of 18 females was reduced to < 50% in the worst-case scenario. With a potential carrying capacity of 37 females, persistence was projected to be almost 100% under all scenarios. The greatest threat to population viability seems to come from livestock impacts on the resources that limit the African wild ass population size under anticipated climate change scenarios. Further studies are required to assess the level of competition between African wild asses and livestock to guide effective conservation strategies

Species richness and species-specific occupancy are key variables for biodiversity monitoring. While there are many field techniques to assess presence of mammalian species, their relative performance and cost effectiveness can be affected by biological variables that are related to availability (relative abundance, diurnal activity) or by traits that are related to visibility (body size, coloration, habitat selection) of a species. We conducted four transect surveys, driven during daytime hours and continuous monitoring with camera traps over a 16-week period in Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania. Transect and camera-trap surveys yielded estimates of 20 and 38 mammalian species, respectively. In absolute terms, diurnal vehicle transects were less costly than camera trapping, but in relative terms (cost/species), camera trapping was more cost effective. Logistic regression showed that mammal species with reduced availability (low relative abundance and low proportion of diurnal activity) were less likely to be detected during diurnal line-transect surveys. Species-specific detection probabilities and occupancy estimates were lower during transect surveys compared to the camera-trap survey. Similar to differences in naive species occupancy, method-related differences in modeled detection probabilities were positively correlated with relative abundance. Results suggest that factors influencing availability of a species explain method-related differences in detection probabilities and species richness estimates.

Habitat loss, poaching, and legal hunting are the main causes of decline in populations of pumas (Puma concolor) globally. We used camera trapping to assess the habitat use and daily activity patterns of pumas, and we identified the major factors affecting this species, in a human-dominated landscape in central Argentina. The intensity of habitat use by pumas was related positively to the presence of woodland, habitat complexity, and richness of wild prey. Pumas also avoided areas with a high concentration of ranches, indicators of more-intense human activity. Although some seasonal variation was detected in the activity patterns, pumas clearly preferred nighttime hours. We conclude that human-related factors strongly affect habitat use and activity of pumas in central Argentina's rangelands.

Confirming presence and distribution of a species is necessary for effective conservation. However, obtaining robust occupancy estimates and confidently identifying factors important to occupancy may be difficult for rare and elusive species. Further, in surveys to assess presence, false-positive detections bias results; however, false-positive occupancy models can resolve this bias and, thus, better support conservation. We assessed the performance of false-positive versus standard occupancy models and important factors predicting presence for a low-density bat population in the southern Appalachian Mountains. From May to August 2013–2015, we surveyed 35 sites for northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) using both mist-net and acoustic methods. We compared AIC_cvalues for 13 standard occupancy models and 13 corresponding false-positive occupancy models. In our model comparison, false-positive models received more support, while none of the standard occupancy models were plausible. False-positive occupancy models produced a wider range of probability of occupancy estimates (0.004–0.998) and lower mean occupancy estimate (0.62) than standard models (0.482–0.970, mean = 0.86). Weighted parameter estimates for important predictors in two plausible false-positive occupancy models indicated the probability of occupancy for northern long-eared bats was higher at less-rugged, lowerelevation sites. In contrast, there was more ambiguity regarding the most plausible standard occupancy models and important predictors of occupancy from standard models. Due to low capture rates and the uncertainty of acoustic identifications, we recommend coupling a certain method with uncertain methods when surveying rare and elusive bat species. Applying false-positive occupancy models to our data yielded less-biased site-specific occupancy estimates and informative predictors, and, hence, more reliable predictions to inform conservation management plans.

Landscape modification represents one of the most severe threats to biodiversity from local to global scales. Conversion of forest to agricultural production generally results in patches of habitat that subdivide or isolate populations, alter the behavior of species, modify interspecific interactions, reduce biodiversity, and compromise ecosystem processes. Moreover, conversion may increase exposure of humans to zoonoses to which they would otherwise rarely be exposed. We evaluated the effects of forest conversion to agriculture, and its subsequent successional dynamics, on bat communities in a region of the Amazon that was predominantly closed-canopy rainforest. Based on a nonmanipulative experiment, we quantified differences in species composition, community structure, and taxonomic biodiversity among closed-canopy forest (bosque), agricultural lands (chacra), and secondary forest (purma) for two phyllostomid guilds (frugivores and gleaning animalivores) during the wet and dry seasons. Responses were complex and guild-specific. For frugivores, species composition (species abundance distributions) differed between all possible pairs of habitats in both wet and dry seasons. For gleaning animalivores, species composition differed between all possible pairs of habitats in the dry season, but no differences characterized the wet season. Ecological structure (rank abundance distributions) differed among habitats in guild-specific and season-specific manners. For frugivores, mean diversity, evenness, and dominance were greater in bosque than in purma; mean dominance was greater in bosque than in chacra, but local rarity was greater in chacra than in bosque, and no differences were manifest between purma and chacra. For gleaning animalivores, mean diversity and evenness were greater in bosque than in purma, but no differences were manifest between chacra and bosque, or between purma and chacra. Such results have important implications for management, conservation, and the epidemiology of zoonotic diseases.

Resource selection models and estimates of home range provide land managers with information that is required to make informed decisions regarding wildlife conservation and management across multiple spatial scales. We used radiotelemetry to examine resource selection and space use of Myotis evotis (western long-eared myotis) in a western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) woodland in eastern Oregon, United States. Small sample sizes likely constrained our ability to detect differences between estimates of home range size for males (x̄ = 424.2 ha, SE = 187.2) and lactating females (x̄ = 205.85 ha, SE = 47.94). Our estimates are among the largest reported for Myotis species, but likely are biased low due to low ambient temperatures and the methods we used to estimate home range. Best resource selection models for males and lactating females differed across spatial scales, based on Akaike's information criteria with a bias correction term for small sample size (AIC_c). At the home range scale, resource use by lactating females was negatively related with distance from water, whereas males selected areas with > 0–10% canopy cover over areas with no canopy cover. At the landscape scale, resource use by males and lactating females decreased with increasing distance from roosts and water sources. Additionally, lactating females avoided areas with > 20% canopy cover more than areas with no canopy cover. These results emphasize the importance of managing pre-settlement woodlands located near roost sites and water sources for variable tree densities to maintain foraging areas for bats.

Bats are facing threats from disease, wind power development, and climate change, which are causing populations of many species to decline. The northern range limits of many temperate species are not well characterized, but the true distribution of threatened bat species is critical information for their conservation. We used passive acoustic monitoring and false-positive occupancy models to estimate the distributions of six species of bats in northern Ontario (north of ca. 50.5°N). We confirmed the presence of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus), northern long-eared myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), and tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) in our study area. We found that big brown bats, hoary bats, and little brown myotis likely are more widespread and common in northern Ontario than previously thought. Our models also provided evidence of associations between temperature and habitat types and bat occupancy probabilities. Our occupancy probability maps for each species support bat conservation by providing much finer-scale distribution information than previously available. These results provide a much-needed baseline for future studies of the distribution of these bat species in northern Ontario against which to measure the effects of white-nose syndrome, resource development, and climate change.