Gray Bat
Overview
Myotis grisescens once flourished in caves all over the southeastern United States
, but due to human disturbance, Gray Bat population
s declined
severely during the early and mid portion of the 20th century. At one cave alone, the Georgetown Cave in Northwestern Alabama
, populations declined from 150,000 Gray Bats to 10,000 by 1969. In 1976, M. grisescens was placed on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
’s endangered species list and put under the protection of the Endangered Species Act
. Gray Bat populations were estimated at approximately 2 million bats around the time they were placed on the Endangered Species list.
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, but due to human disturbance, Gray Bat population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
s declined
Population decline
Population decline can refer to the decline in population of any organism, but this article refers to population decline in humans. It is a term usually used to describe any great reduction in a human population...
severely during the early and mid portion of the 20th century. At one cave alone, the Georgetown Cave in Northwestern Alabama
Northwest Alabama
Northwest Alabama is a subdivision of the North Alabama region, and includes the cities of Decatur, Florence, Russellvile, and their surrounding areas in the state of Alabama. The county inclusion varies, usually only consisting of the Decatur Metropolitan Area and Florence-Muscle Shoals...
, populations declined from 150,000 Gray Bats to 10,000 by 1969. In 1976, M. grisescens was placed on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
’s endangered species list and put under the protection of the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
. Gray Bat populations were estimated at approximately 2 million bats around the time they were placed on the Endangered Species list.
Unanswered Questions
