Bat Species in Greater Yellowstone Area Subject of Talk at Grand Teton National Park (6/10/2008)

Results of the first and only comprehensive bat inventory of the Greater Yellowstone Area will be the first topic of the popular summer seminar series Thursday, June 12, at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW-NPS) Research Center. The center is located at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.

Doug Keinath, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database senior zoologist at UW, will speak at 6:30 p.m. at the AMK Ranch, north of Leeks Marina. A barbecue will be held at 5:30 p.m. with a $5 per person fee; reservations are not required. For more information, call the UW-NPS Center at (307) 543-2463.

"It is not uncommon for people visiting the Greater Yellowstone Area to encounter bats, which they often see flitting across the sky at twilight," Keinath says. "However, most bats are so unobtrusive and hard to study that until recently no one knew for certain which species occurred in Yellowstone and nearby parks."

He says 13 different species have been found in the park. Keinath will discuss the bats' life history, ecology and conservation.

The UW-NPS Research Center provides a base for university faculty members and governmental scientists from throughout North America to conduct research in the diverse aquatic and terrestrial environments of Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Area.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the University of Wyoming

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