Part 7

=Myotis volans interior= Miller

Interior Long-legged Bat

Although seldom found to be plentiful, this bat was recorded from many points on both the coastal and desert slopes of the mountains. Specimens were taken in the chaparral association in San Antonio Canyon, near Jackson Lake among yellow pines, and in Mescal Canyon at the upper limit of the Joshua tree woodland. Bats, probably volans, were noted over sage flats at 8000 feet elevation on Blue Ridge. The only place where these bats appeared to be numerous was Jackson Lake on the interior slope; there, on September 19, 1951, volans appeared with the pipistrelles, and was the most common bat before dark.

An individual of this species taken on October 28, 1951, in a short mine-shaft in the pinyon belt at the head of Grandview Canyon was slow in its movements and felt as cold as the walls of the tunnel. It was late afternoon and the temperature outside the cave was below 40 deg.F. The floor of the tunnel was covered with the hind wings of large moths of the genus Catocala; volans probably hung in the cave while eating them.

The series of volans from the San Gabriels shows that the two color phases of this bat both occur in the area. Two specimens from Jackson Lake contrast sharply with the rest of the series in their dark coloration. Benson (1949:50) states that color variation in a series of volans from a given locality may be striking.

This bat was collected in San Antonio Canyon from 50 minutes after sundown to two hours and 40 minutes after sundown. In this area these bats did not visit the ponds in large numbers as they seemed to do on the desert slope.

A female taken on May 29, 1951, contained one embryo nearly at term.

Specimens examined.--Total, 9, distributed as follows: Los Angeles County: Mescal Canyon, 8 mi. E and 5 mi. S Llano, 4900 ft., 1; 3 mi. W Big Pines, Swarthout Valley, 6000 ft., 3; San Antonio Canyon, 2800 ft., 5.

=Myotis californicus californicus= (Audubon and Bachman)

California Myotis

On the Pacific face of the mountain range this bat was recorded commonly below approximately 5000 feet elevation, where it seemed to be most common in the oak woodland of canyons. On the desert slope it was collected at Jackson Lake in yellow pine woodland, in Mescal Canyon in the juniper belt, and bats presumably of this species were observed at several points in the pinyon-juniper woodland.

Individuals of this species were often observed foraging from five to ten feet above the ground around the alders and Baccharis near San Antonio Creek, but they did not fly so low or so near the vegetation as did Myotis evotis. Here they were taken from 18 minutes to 55 minutes after sunset; this indicates an early and short forage period.

This bat may be active even in winter. On February 8, 1952, in lower San Antonio Canyon, a bat, probably of this species, was noted foraging; and collecting in early November, 1951, yielded specimens.

On May 22, 1951, a female obtained in San Antonio Canyon had one five-millimeter embryo, and subsequently all the females examined had embryos until June 12, when collecting was discontinued.

Specimens examined.--Total, 16, distributed as follows: Los Angeles County: Mescal Canyon, 4800 ft., 2; Jackson Lake, 6000 ft., 1 (PC); San Antonio Canyon, 3900 ft., 1; San Antonio Canyon, 2800 ft., 12.

=Pipistrellus hesperus merriami= (Dobson)

Western Pipistrelle

This is the most obvious if not the most common bat of the lower coastal slopes of the San Gabriels. In the spring and fall of 1951 individuals were noted from 1700 feet in the coastal sage scrub association to the white fir forests on Blue Ridge at 8200 feet elevation and were commonest in the rocky canyons of the lower Pacific slope below 4000 feet, and usually foraged near the steep canyon sides high above the canyon bottoms.

Pipistrelles were generally the first bats to appear in the evening, although the times of their appearance were irregular. In April and May, in lower San Antonio Canyon, they appeared from 28 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunset, with the average time of appearance eight and one-half minutes after sunset. Like Myotis californicus this pipistrelle seemed to have a short and early foraging period. No pipistrelles were recorded at ponds later than one hour and five minutes after sunset, and usually they were not seen later than 40 minutes after sunset. Most of the specimens taken later than one half hour after sunset had full stomachs. More than 50 pipistrelles were captured at the ponds in San Antonio Canyon; six were kept for specimens. This species is probably present in the area throughout the winter. Pipistrelles were active in early April in Evey Canyon, were observed in early November in San Antonio Canyon, and on January 26, 1952, an individual was noted foraging near the mouth of Palmer Canyon. They are probably not active in winter on the colder desert slope of the mountains.

Pipistrelles often foraged in loose flocks of about half a dozen individuals. On many occasions these groups were first seen foraging high up above the canyon bottom, then, as it grew darker, they descended and foraged within 50 or 100 feet of the floor of the canyon. Immediately before dark these groups seemed to have forage beats; one minute several pipistrelles would be overhead, and the next minute none would be in sight.

A female taken in San Antonio Canyon on June 8, 1951, contained two five-millimeter embryos.

Specimens examined.--Total, 6, distributed as follows: Los Angeles County: San Antonio Canyon, 2800 ft., 5; Evey Canyon, 2400 ft., 1.

=Pipistrellus hesperus hesperus= (H. Allen)

Western Pipistrelle

This species was common in the spring and autumn of 1951 from the lower edge of the yellow pine forest down into the belt of Joshua trees. In early April on the desert slope at 4800 feet in Mescal Canyon, pipistrelles foraged on evenings when it was windy but not cold. On cold evenings (when the temperature was below roughly 45 deg.F) none was seen. On windy nights the pipistrelles often forsook their usual high forage habits and foraged 15 feet or so above the ground where the vegetation and outcrops of rock broke the force of the wind. In 1951 no pipistrelles were noted on the desert slope later than October 15.

Specimens examined.--Los Angeles County: Mescal Canyon, 4800 ft., 4.

=Eptesicus fuscus bernardinus= Rhoads

Big Brown Bat