CO-NM-AZ-UT-CO

Dear All,
We’ll be traveling in CO, NW NM, N AZ and S UT in May-early June. I am familiar with the area, but wouldn’t mind another look at, say, spotted bat, mountain lion, or spotted skunk. My wife has never been there. If anyone has recent tips for the area, or is planning to do some interesting research and wouldn’t mind us stopping by, or knows someone who is planning some research, or knows someone who knows someone… and so on, I’d appreciate such information 🙂
Vladimir Dinets

2 Comments

  • John Fox

    Vladimir

    Spotted Bats use the cow ponds on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, around Jacobs Lake. From what I gleaned when I was there they take an hour to get there from the canyon and feed for about two hours before going to roost. They stay high except when they come down to drink.

    At mile and a half campground the pond is below a hill, a broad beam light from the hill might find them. When you go into the campground, the road splits three ways; stay to the right and it takes you to the hill.

    Greater Bonneted Bats are also there, we caught one at mile and half. With a two foot wingspan you might be able to ID it in flight.

    FWIW, mist netting in chest waders in a rough bottomed pond full of cow manure was…interesting. When the water got a good bit above waist level I got a little worried. One girl lost her balance and went in. Ugh.

    John

    • vdinets

      John: mistnetting (or even owing mistnets) without a permit is illegal in the US. There is reportedly a large cave in Marble Canyon where spotted bats roost, but I can’t find where exactly it is.

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