Conservation of Mexican Long-Nosed Bats Along the Migration Route and Surrounding Maternity Caves

Abstract

The nectar-feeding Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis or L. nivalis) population has been experiencing a steep decline over the past ten years. Conservation of this species is vital for the mutualistic relationship between the plant genus Agave and the bat species Leptonycteris nivalis. Bat pollination promotes genetic diversity of the agave plant and ensures maintenance of the plant community structure. To gain an understanding of critical habitat locations for conservation, I developed high-resolution species distribution models with data on current and historic sites and observations. These revised models were used to hypothesize the most likely migratory route of the species, which will be used to guide the search for additional roosting caves along the migration.