Bats We Monitor Allen's Big-eared Bat Idionycteris phyllotis Read More Photo credit: Ernie Valdez Arizona Myotis Myotis occultus Read More Photo credit: Ernie Valdez Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus Read More Photo credit: Audrey Holstead Big Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops macrotis Read More Photo credit: Richard Hoyer Brazilian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida brasiliensis Read More Photo credit: Ernest Valdez California Leaf-nosed Bat Macrotus californicus Read More Photo credit: Alan Harper California Myotis Myotis californicus Read More Photo credit: Alan Harper Canyon Bat Parastrellus hesperus Read More Photo credit: Dan Neubaum Cave Myotis Myotis velifer Read More Photo credit: J. Scott Altenbach Desert Red Bat Lasiurus frantzii Read More Photo credit: Bureau of Reclamation Eastern Red Bat Lasiurus borealis Read More Photo credit: Jordi Segers Eastern Small-footed Myotis Myotis leibii Read More Photo credit: Valerie Kearny, Arkansas State University Evening bat Nycticeius humeralis Read More Photo Credit: K. Leeker Florida bonneted bat Eumops floridanus Read More Photo credit: Florida Fish & Wildlife Fringed Myotis Myotis thysanodes Read More Photo credit: Pipe Spring NPS Gray Myotis Myotis grisescens Read More Photo credit: Dane Smith Greater Bonneted Bat Eumops perotis Read More Photo credit: BLM Hawaiian Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus semotus Read More Photo credit: Corinna Pinzari Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus Read More Photo credit: Jose Martinez-Fonseca Indiana Myotis Myotis sodalis Read More Photo credit: Dane Smith Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat Artibeus jamaicensis Read More Photo credit: Steven Brewer Lesser Long-nosed Bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae Read More Photo credit: Alan Schmierer Little Brown Bat Myotis lucifugus Read More Photo credit: Jordi Segers Long-eared Myotis Myotis evotis Read More Photo credit: Dan Neubaum Long-legged Myotis Myotis volans Read More Photo credit: Paul Cryan Mexican Long-nosed Bat Leptonycteris nivalis Read More Photo credit: Winifred Frick, BCI Mexican Long-tongued Bat Choeronycteris mexicana Read More Photo credit: Patrick Randall Northern Long-eared Myotis Myotis septentrionalis Read More Photo credit: Andrea Schuhmann Northern Yellow Bat Lasiurus intermedius Read More Photo credit: Kpix Photo Pallas' Mastiff Bat Molossus molossus Read More Photo credit: Thomas Cuypers Pallid Bat Antrozous pallidus Read More Photo credit: BCI Menden Pictures Peter's Ghost-faced Bat Mormoops megalophylla Read More Photo credit: Jennifer Krauel Pocketed Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops femorosaccus Read More Photo credit: Saguaro NPS Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat Corynorhinus rafinesquii Read More Photo credit: Jason Slater, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Seminole Bat Lasiurus seminolus Read More Photo credit: Kathleen Smith, Florida FWCC Silver-haired Bat Lasionycteris noctivagans Read More Photo credit: Jose Martinez-Fonseca, NAU Southeastern Myotis Myotis austroriparius Read More Photo credit: Andrea Schuhmann Southern Yellow Bat Lasiurus ega Read More Photo credit: Arturo Munoz Southwestern Myotis Myotis auriculus Read More Photo credit: Bruce D. Taubert Spotted Bat Euderma maculatum Read More Photo credit: Paul Cryan Townsend's Big-eared Bat Corynorhinus townsendii Read More Photo credit: Ann Froschauer, USFWS Tricolored Bat Perimyotis subflavus Read More Photo credit: Andrea Schuhmann Underwood's Bonneted Bat Eumops underwoodi Read More Photo credit: J. Scott Altenbach Western Small-footed myotis Myotis ciliolabrum Read More Photo credit: Ian Maton Western Yellow Bat Lasiurus xanthinus Read More Photo credit: BLM California Yuma Myotis Myotis yumanensis Read More Photo credit: Dan Neubaum

522f1e11-8633-4060-8d58-5b4df21058a5 Photo credit: Kathleen Smith, Florida FWCC USFWS Next WNS & Listing Status Lasiurus seminolus Order: Chiroptera Suborder: Yangochiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae Call characteristics: High frequency caller (30-35 kHz range) Weight 1/4 - 1/2 oz (7 - 14 g) Body Length 3 1/2 - 4 3/4 in (8.9 - 12 cm) There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN , NatureServe , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS , and the National Atlas of the United States . US SWAP National List IUCN Red List Canada Species at Risk Mexico Seminole Bat The seminole bat has red-brown fur with frosted tips and white patches on its shoulders. This species often roosts in pine trees and spanish moss. They range throughout the southeastern US and are active year-round when temperatures are warm enough. Seminole bats feed on leafhoppers, flies, beetles, and ants. Mothers usually have to 3-4 pups at a time. The lifespan of this species is unknown. Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources: NatureServe Explorer United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277. Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Conservation Status Previous Next

a6800b82-f03a-40b3-a0de-068e6e1456a8 Photo credit: BLM California USFWS Next WNS & Listing Status Lasiurus xanthinus Order: Chiroptera Suborder: Yangochiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae Call characteristics: High frequency caller (~50 kHz range) Weight 1/3 - 4/5 oz (9.2 - 22.5 g) Length 4 - 4 1/3 in (10 – 11 cm) There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN , NatureServe , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS , and the National Atlas of the United States . US SWAP National List IUCN Red List Canada Species at Risk Mexico Western Yellow Bat The western yellow bat has blonde fur, darkened in the vicinity of its ears. Found throughout Mexico and the southwestern United States, it occupies a large range of habitats including riparian woodlands, desert regions, and tropical forests. The western yellow bat roosts in trees and within dead palm fronds, well-camouflaged by its yellowish fur. This bat migrates south for the winter but does not hibernate. Beetles are the main food source of western yellow bats though they will eat other insects. Mothers usually rear two to four pups annually. Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources: NatureServe Explorer United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277. Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Conservation Status Previous Next

0aa82f2d-f4ac-48e2-927e-ce9bfb5f3e28 Photo credit: Steven Brewer USFWS Next WNS & Listing Status Artibeus jamaicensis Order: Chiroptera Suborder: Yangochiroptera Family: Phyllostomidae Call characteristics: Low frequency caller (15 kHz) Weight 1 2/5 - 2 oz (40 - 60 g) Body Length 3 - 3 1/2 in (7.5 - 8.9 cm) There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN , NatureServe , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS , and the National Atlas of the United States . US SWAP National List IUCN Red List Canada Species at Risk Mexico Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat The Jamaican fruit-eating bat, also known as the Mexican fruit bat, has dark brown fur, a short nose, prominant nose leaf, and noticable bumps on its lower lip. This species lives in tropical habitats where it roosts in caves, trees, buildings, and leaf tents. Its range extends from southern Mexico to northwest Peru and additionally on islands including the Florida Keys, Trinidad, and Tobago. The Jamaican fruit-eating bat eats fragrant fruits including figs, which it carries to a feeding roost to dine on. By carrying fruit to a differnt location before eating, this bat spreads seeds. Mothers typically carry a single pup at a time. The Jamaican fruit-eating bat has a lifespan of 9 to 10 years in the wild. Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources: NatureServe Explorer United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277. Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Conservation Status Previous Next

388f9e3b-b61a-435a-b6f4-6fc65dbee5f3 Photo credit: Bruce D. Taubert USFWS Next WNS & Listing Status Myotis auriculus Order : Chiroptera Suborder : Yangochiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae Call characteristics: High frequency caller (~40 kHz range) Weight 1/5 - 1/3 oz (5 - 8 g) Body Length 3 - 3 1/2 in (7.8 - 8.8 cm) There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN , NatureServe , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS , and the National Atlas of the United States . US SWAP National List IUCN Red List Canada Species at Risk Mexico Southwestern Myotis Southwestern myotis have dull brown fur, with brown wing membranes and ears which distinguish them from other Myotine bats in the southwestern U.S.; all of which have black wing membranes and ears. Its range extends south from New Mexico and Arizona into Mexico and Guatemala. Preferred habitat consists of dry forests and shrublands, ranging from ponderosa pine to mesquite. Southwestern myotis are often found in areas with rocky cliffs, and maternity colonies have been documented in hollow tree cavities. Its diet consists mostly of moths. Females give birth to a single pup each season. Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources: NatureServe Explorer United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277. Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Conservation Status Previous Next

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: A Internal winter hibernaculum survey must have a site use type of hibernacula or winter roost HOW TO RESOLVE: 'Site Use Type' missing required entry of 'winter hibernacula' or 'winter non-hibernacula'. Ensure each record includes values for all required fields before re-uploading. ADDED EXPLANATION: Surveys must include key fields that answer the "where, what, when, and who" questions: either a GRTS Cell ID or latitude/longitude to locate the survey, a Site Name to describe the place, survey start and end times, and the names of surveyors. Each survey type may also require a few additional fields. If required columns are missing entirely, the upload wizard will block the file. If required columns are present but individual rows lack values, those rows will be flagged while the rest of the file can load. Use the template's informational header rows to identify which fields are required and ensure each data entry row contains values for these fields before uploading.

658b8eed-12d9-4720-8eb1-a36d7c190881 Photo credit: J. Scott Altenbach USFWS Next WNS & Listing Status Eumops underwoodi Order: Chiroptera Suborder: Yangochiroptera Family: Mollosidae Call characteristics: Low frequency caller (10-25 kHz) Weight 1 2/5 - 1 3/4 oz (40 - 50 g) Body Length 6 - 6 1/3 in (15 - 16 cm) There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN , NatureServe , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS , and the National Atlas of the United States . US SWAP National List IUCN Red List Canada Species at Risk Mexico Underwood's Bonneted Bat Underwood's bonneted bat has a gray to sandy brown color and large ears. It is the second largest bat in the US after the greater bonneted bat. This species lives in desert, grassland, and decidious forest habitats and has been observed roosting in cacti, under palm fronds, and among foliage. Its range spreads from southern Arizona to Nicaragua and this species migrates south for the winter. This bat is fast and has been clocked flying at speeds over 43 km/hr (27 mi/hr)! Underwood's bonneted bat feeds on insects including leafhoppers, moths, grasshoppers, and beetles. Mothers give birth to one pup per year. Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources: NatureServe Explorer United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277. Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Conservation Status Previous Next

4c756a0f-e6bc-459e-a43a-d1f018b7a0c0 Photo credit: Andrea Schuhmann USFWS Next WNS & Listing Status Perimyotis subflavus Order: Chiroptera Suborder : Yangochiroptera Family : Vespertilionidae Call characteristics: High frequency caller (~40 kHz range) Weight 1/8 - 1/4 oz (4.6 - 7.9 g) Body Length 3 - 3 1/2 in (7.7 – 8.9 cm) There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN , NatureServe , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS , and the National Atlas of the United States . US SWAP National List IUCN Red List Canada Species at Risk Mexico Tricolored Bat The tricolored bat (previously known as the eastern pipistrelle) is one of the smallest species in North America, with a short face and large eyes and ears. Its name comes from the characteristically tri-colored fur on its back, which shifts from dark at the base, yellowish-brown in the middle, and reddish-brown at the tips. This species prefers open woodlands and woodland edges, especially areas near water. Maternity roosts can be found in dead or live foliage, while caves, mines, and other rock crevices are used for summer roosts and winter hibernation. Tricolored bats prey on flying insects such as moths, mosquitoes, and ants. This species has suffered rapid population declines due to white-nose syndrome. Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources: NatureServe Explorer United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277. Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Conservation Status Previous Next

2d2a8e22-3959-4157-916f-16fd6358f684 Photo credit: Jordi Segers USFWS Next WNS & Listing Status Myotis lucifugus Order: Chiroptera Suborder: Yangochiroptera Family: Vespertilionidae Call characteristics: High frequency caller (~40 kHz range) Weight 1/8 - 1/2 oz (5 - 14 g) Body Length 2 3/8 - 4 in (6 - 10.2 cm) There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN , NatureServe , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS , and the National Atlas of the United States . US SWAP National List IUCN Red List Canada Species at Risk Mexico Little Brown Bat The little brown Myotis' fur ranges from brown to yellowish to gray-brown. In its western range, the little brown Myotis prefers mountainous habitat and riparian areas in a variety of forest types. It can often be found roosting in man-made structures such as buildings, attics, and bat boxes in towns and open, arid areas. Little brown Myotis will also roost beneath the bark of dead trees, inside tree cavities, under rocks, and in woodpiles. The little brown Myotis consumes a wide variety of aquatic insects, from midges and mayflies to moths and beetles. Lactating females may consume up to half their body weight in insects during a single night while nursing pups. During winter, the little brown Myotis hibernates in caves and abandoned mines, aggregating in colonies that often number tens of thousands of individuals. This species is particularly susceptible to the fungal pathogen white-nose syndrome, which has caused populations to decline drastically. Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources: NatureServe Explorer United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277. Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. Conservation Status Previous Next

Create Account Plan Project Collect Data Prep/Process Data Upload Data Data QA/QC Get Data Species Codes Quick Links PROCESSING ACOUSTICS IN SONOBAT 4 Select the acoustic survey type for which you have data STATIONARY POINT SURVEYS MOBILE TRANSECT SURVEYS SonoBat 30 is now the only version of SonoBat receiving classifier and program updates and the only version to conform to NABat's current stationary and mobile acoustic metadata fields. The following guidance is customized for SonoBat 30 users. Visit SonoBat 30 updates page https://sonobat.com/updates/ for information on the most current program build and classifier series, and instructions for updating a currently installed SonoBat 30 installation. Updates to SonoBat 4 are no longer supported by the software manufacturer, therefore, the guidance provided for SonoBat 4 is final as of February 1, 2025 and may not reflect future changes to NABat acoustic metadata. Processing Stationary Point Surveys Attribute Files > Scrub Noise Files > Assign Species IDs > Export Metadata > Formatting the Template > ATTRIBUTE FILES 1. Open the SonoBat Data Wizard and select the NABat Attributer from the drop-down menu in the top left of the window. Click the folder icon in the top right of the window and navigate to the folder containing the .wav files you intend to attribute (this should be a folder for a single deployment). Next, determine if you would like to Copy and Attribute to Output Folder or Rename and Attribute in place using the dropdown option. Specify an output directory in the Output Folder section where attributed files will be saved. The right panel of the application displays the GUANO metadata present in your selected acoustic files. This will be updated as NABat metadata fields are assigned in the Data Wizard . 2. Click the NABat Metadata button to access the NABat metadata pop-up window. For stationary acoustic data, the Mobile Transect option must be set to False . NOTE: the NABat Attributer metadata fields available in SonoBat 4 do not reflect the current metadata fields required and/or accepted by NABat as of Fall 2024. Only fill out the fields on the Location/Time (required) dropdown in the NABat Metadata pop-up window as the other metadata drop-down fields are outdated. 3. Once you have added only the NABat Location/Time (required) fields, click Finish . 4. Repeat the above steps for all NABat stationary metadata fields that are required or for which you have data. 5. Select the Attribute Files button in the bottom center of the window. SCRUB NOISE FILES 1. Click the folder icon in the top right corner of the Data Wizard window and navigate to the folder containing your attributed .wav files. 2. Click the drop-down menu in the top left and select Batch File Scrubber . 3. Select medium from the filter options and ensure the appropriate frequency filter is selected. 4. Click Scrub in the bottom left of the window. ASSIGN SPECIES IDs 1. Open SonoBat 4.x.x North America and click the SonoBatch button in the lower left corner. 2. Click the folder icon in the top center of the window and navigate to the folder containing the files you intend to process. 3. Select the classifier most appropriate for your location using the drop-down menus on the left side of the window. 4. Ensure Append species codes to filenames? is NOT selected. 5. Select autofilter in areas without low-frequency bat species and auto-low in areas with low-frequency bats present. 6. Set acceptable call quality to 0.80 . 7. Set sqnc decision threshold to 0.90 . 8. Set max number of calls to consider to 16 . 9. Click Process in the bottom center of the window. EXPORT METADATA INTO BULK UPLOAD TEMPLATE The following steps can be used to export metadata from all processed deployments simultaneously, resulting in a single CSV with metadata from numerous sites. Simply select the parent folder that contains all of your processed deployments and follow the steps outlined below. The presence of non .wav files in the folder will not interfere with this process. SonoBat will ignore non .wav files. 1. Open SonoBat 4.x.x North America and select the regional and subregional classifier appropriate for your survey location. Click the I understand button to access the applications primary user interface. 2. Click the SonoVet button in the lower left corner to access the Project Vetter pop-up window. 3. Click the Add to Project button and navigate to the folder containing .wav files that have been attributed and processed in the above steps. 4. Click the Settings tab on the top menu bar and then click the Load Layout button to load the NABat metadata form. Be sure to select the appropriate SonoBat form for your software version. SonoBat project forms are available for download here . 5. Click the Vetting Table tab from the top menu bar. Ensure all required fields have values and that all fields for which you have entered data are filled. 6. If everything is correct, click the Export tab from the top menu bar. Select a destination folder to save the metadata file and select Use current layout – and Output null as " " or Output null as an empty cell from the dropdown menu in the bottom center of the window. DO NOT select NABat Summary for export – this summary format does not reflect the NABat metadata updates. 7. Click Save to File . 8. The resulting .txt file must be converted to a .csv file. To convert the file in Excel , open a new workbook, drag and drop your .txt file directly into your new workbook. 10. The specific software version must now be manually added. Highlight the Software Type column, and using the find/replace function, replace SonoBat with SonoBat 4.x , depending on your specific software version. 11. Click File , Save As , and select the folder where you intend to save the metadata spreadsheet. Give the file a unique and descriptive name and select CSV (Comma delimited) from the Save as type dropdown. 12. In order for the NABat system to read your metadata, the column headers created by SonoBat must be replaced with the metadata field names from the most up-to-date NABat template. To do so, follow directions in the next section. FORMATTING THE NABAT METADATA TEMPLATE NABat stationary acoustic metadata fields were updated Fall of 2024. Because updates to SonoBat 4 are no longer supported by the software manufacturer, the SonoBat 4 NABat Attributer does not reflect the most up-to-date NABat metadata. Therefore, a scripted solution to format data from SonoBat 4 for NABat upload is provided below. 1. Click the R Script button below to download a .pdf version of the script. Open R studio and copy and paste the script into the upper left window. Adapt the code to your computer path and file names. Click Run until you reach the end of the code. A new CSV file should now be written and saved to your local working directory with a unique filename. 2. You must manually enter information for all required NABat metadata fields into your newly created .csv. You can review the stationary acoustic required metadata fields by downloading the bulk upload template here . 3. Once all required fields are populated, your metadata are now ready for upload to the NABat Partner Portal . R Script Attribute Files: SonoBat 4 Scrub Noise Files: SonoBat 4 Assign Species IDs: SonoBat 4 Export Metadata Into Bulk Upload Template: SonoBat 4 Formatting the NABat Metadata Template: SonoBat 4 Processing Mobile Transect Surveys Attribute Files > Scrub Noise Files > Assign Species IDs > Export Metadata > Formatting the Template > ATTRIBUTE FILES 1. Open the SonoBat Data Wizard and select NABat Attributer from the drop-down menu in the top left of the window. Click the folder icon in the top right of the window and navigate to the folder containing the .wav files you intend to attribute (this should be a folder for a single deployment). Next, determine if you would like to Copy and Attribute to Output Folder or Rename and Attribute in place using the dropdown option. Specify an output directory in the Output Folder section where attributed files will be saved. The right panel of the application displays the GUANO metadata present in your selected acoustic files. This will be updated as NABat metadata fields are assigned in the Data Wizard . NOTE: The NABat Attributer metadata fields available in SonoBat 4 do not reflect the current metadata fields required and accepted by NABat as of Fall 2024. Only fill out the fields in the Location/Time (required) dropdown in the NABat Metadata pop-up window as the other metadata drop-down fields are outdated. 2. Click the NABat Metadata button and enter metadata in the popup window that appears. Select True to confirm that you are processing mobile transect data. NOTE: The NABat system will estimate the location based on user-provided spatial information for the route, timestamps of each file, and the start/end times of the survey. In this case, it is critical that users provide a spatial object (a KML or GEOJSON file) for the route prior to uploading NABat metadata, ensure timestamps are provided for each file, provide start and end times of the route, and leave the GRTS Cell Id column of the metadata upload blank. Instructions on uploading or drawing a spatial object for mobile transect routes are as follows: If transects pass through > 1 grid cell and you have a record of the X,Y location where each call was recorded (using an external GPS or a GPS enabled detector), leave the Start/End GPS and NABat Grid Cell Id fields blank. The NABat system will use the X,Y locations to auto-assign the correct grid cell id to each call. Otherwise, calls recorded outside the primary cell will produce a lat/long-grid cell mismatch error. 3. Click Finish in the bottom right. 4. Once you have added only the NABat Location/Time (required) fields, select Attribute Files in the bottom center of the window. SCRUB NOISE FILES 1. Click the folder icon in the top right corner of the Data Wizard window and navigate to the folder containing your .wav files. 2. Click the drop-down menu in the top left and select Batch File Scrubber . 3. Select Thorough: more carefully scans . 4. Select medium from the filter options and ensure the appropriate frequency filter is selected. 5. Click Scrub in the bottom left of the window. 6. NABat requests that users provide metadata for scrubbed NOISE files. However, SonoBat automatically ignores any folder labeled Noise Files , Deleted Files , or Scrubbed Files . To ensure scrubbed files load in the SonoVet table, rename folders containing scrubbed files as NOTBAT before loading folders into SonoVet. ASSIGN SPECIES IDs 1. Open SonoBat 4 North America and click the SonoBatch button in the lower left corner. 2. Click the folder icon in the top center of the window and navigate to the folder containing the files you intend to process. 3. Select the classifier most appropriate for your location using the drop-down menus on the left side of the window. 4. Ensure Append species codes to filenames? is NOT selected. 5. Select autofilter in areas without low-frequency bat species and auto-low in areas with low-frequency bats present. 6. Set acceptable call quality to 0.80 . 7. Set sqnc decision threshold to 0.90 . 8. Set max number of calls to consider to 16 . 9. Click Process in the bottom center of the window. EXPORT METADATA INTO BULK UPLOAD TEMPLATE The following steps can be used to export metadata from all processed deployments simultaneously, resulting in a single CSV with metadata from numerous sites. Simply select the parent folder that contains all of your processed deployments and follow the steps outlined below. The presence of non .wav files in the folder will not interfere with this process. SonoBat will ignore non .wav files. 1. Open SonoBat 4.x.x North America and select the regional and subregional classifier appropriate for your survey location. Click the I understand button to access the applications primary user interface. 2. Click the SonoVet button in the lower left corner to access the Project Vetter pop-up window. 3. Click the Add to Project button and navigate to the folder containing .wav files that have been attributed and processed in the above steps. 4. Click the Settings tab on the top menu bar and then click the Load Layout button to load the NABat metadata form. Be sure to select the appropriate SonoBat form for your software version. SonoBat project forms are available for download here . 5. Click the Vetting Table tab from the top menu bar. Ensure all required fields have values and that all fields for which you have entered data are filled. 6. If everything is correct, click the Export tab from the top menu bar. Select a destination folder to save the metadata file and select Use current layout – and Output null as " " or Output null as an empty cell from the dropdown menu in the bottom center of the window. DO NOT select NABat Summary for export – this summary format does not reflect the NABat metadata updates. 7. Click Save to File . 8. The resulting .txt file must be converted to a .csv file. To convert the file in Excel , open a new workbook, drag and drop your .txt file directly into your new workbook. 10. The specific software version must now be manually added. Highlight the Software Type column, and using the find/replace function, replace SonoBat with SonoBat 4.x , depending on your specific software version. 11. Click File , Save As , and select the folder where you intend to save the metadata spreadsheet. Give the file a unique and descriptive name and select CSV (Comma delimited) from the Save as type dropdown. 12. In order for the NABat system to read your metadata, the column headers created by SonoBat must be replaced with the metadata field names from the most up-to-date NABat template. To do so, follow directions in the next section. FORMATTING THE NABAT METADATA TEMPLATE NABat stationary acoustic metadata fields were updated Fall of 2024. Because updates to SonoBat 4 are no longer supported by the software manufacturer, the SonoBat 4 NABat Attributer does not reflect the most up-to-date NABat metadata. Therefore, a scripted solution to format data from SonoBat 4 for NABat upload is provided below. 1. Click the R Script button below to download a .pdf version of the script. Open R studio and copy and paste the script into the upper left window. Adapt the code to your computer path and file names. Click Run until you reach the end of the code. A new CSV file should now be written and saved to your local working directory with a unique filename. 2. You must manually enter information for all required NABat metadata fields into your newly created .csv. You can review the stationary acoustic required metadata fields by downloading the bulk upload template here . 3. Once all required fields are populated, your metadata are now ready for upload to the NABat Partner Portal . R Script Attribute Files SonoBat 4_Mobile Scrub Noise Files SonoBat 4_Mobile Assign Species IDs SonoBat 4_Mobile Export Metadata Into Template_Mobile Formatting the Metadata Template_Mobile

Create Account Plan Project Collect Data Prep/Process Data Upload Data Data QA/QC Get Data Species Codes Resource Library SPECIES ACOUSTIC SEARCH AREA SAWG LIST 1.0 Why Species Lists Matter Technological improvements over the last several decades have led to more advanced ultrasonic recording equipment capable of capturing large quantities of high-quality bat call data and have also led to more advanced signal processing algorithms and acoustic analysis software capable of auto-classifying these large datasets to species (Zamora-Gutierrez et al. 2021; Fraser et al. 2020). It is often overlooked, however, how important the list of bat species selected for consideration by autoclassification software and manual vetting can be for ensuring accurate acoustic processing results. When using acoustic classification software to process bat call data, the list of species considered by a software’s classifier impacts how the calls are categorized and classified to species. This can potentially lead to mis- or missed classifications if the species included in the classifier are not appropriate for the geography of interest. It is recommended that users select the list of species appropriate for their study area based on a review of species range maps, suggested acoustic search areas (2025, see section below), and consultation with local experts, state, provincial, or tribal wildlife agencies, and conservation organizations involved in acoustic bat monitoring. The species list determines monitoring effort for each species for a given recording and classification batch. If a species is not in a species list, it will not be considered by the classification software, and can never be detected. So, from an analytical perspective, species not included in the species list did not have a monitoring effort. In other words, “it was not looked for, detection status = NA” instead of “it was looked for but was not detected, detection status = 0”. When a species is included in a species list, it can be detected (either correctly, or incorrectly). The correct classification probability of a species depends in part on which other species are included in a species list, so the species false-negative rates and false-positive rates will be affected by the inclusion or exclusion of other species. Suggested Acoustic Search Area for North American Bats by NABat Grid Cell A Product of the NABat Stationary Acoustic Working Group Summary: The NABat Stationary Acoustic Working Group is comprised of members with diverse geographic and species-specific expertise in stationary acoustic surveys for bats. The working group collaborated with state, provincial, and regional bat experts to develop suggested search areas for North American bat species. These search areas are geographies where a specified bat species may occur and therefore should be considered for inclusion in the list of candidate species when analyzing echolocation recordings and assigning a species ID. The primary purpose of this effort is to produce candidate species lists for each NABat grid cell that can be considered when undertaking acoustic analyses (i.e., using autoID software to classify bat recordings to species). It is expected that acoustic search areas will require updating through time to account for changes in populations and incorporating new or updated information sources. Background and Need: The list of bat species selected for consideration by the autoclassification software and by manual vetters is important for ensuring accurate acoustic processing results for a given geography where recordings were collected. When using acoustic classification software to process bat call data, the list of species considered by a software’s classifier impacts how the calls are parameterized and classified to species. This can potentially lead to mis- or missed classifications if the species included in the classifier are not appropriate for the geography of interest. Species range maps can help inform the list of bat species selected for consideration when auto-classifying and manually vetting acoustic recordings, however, because some known or suspected changes in species distributions (e.g., Brazilian free-tailed bat, evening bat) are not reflected in these maps, and because true species ranges cannot be fully known, these range maps are not sufficient on their own. Currently there are four primary sources for North American Bat species ranges -- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS), National Atlas, NatureServe, and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Table 1). The species ranges provided by these sources can sometimes be in conflict and therefore serve as a source of confusion for analysts determining which species should be considered during acoustic data processing. Moreover, it is important to distinguish between polygons intended to depict species ranges (i.e., where species are expected to occur based on historical records, contemporary observation data, or expert elicitation) and species acoustic search area polygons (i.e., where it is reasonable to look for a species based on the understanding that species range boundaries can change through time). The latter support acoustic surveys that can be used to document changes in species distributions. Commercial and open-source software available for auto-classifying and manually vetting acoustic recordings of bat echolocation measures often provide users a default list of species for the software to consider for a given geography. If a species is missing from the list of considered species, it will not be considered for classification and, thus, cannot be detected. A single list of species to consider during acoustic survey analyses at the scale of a 10-km x 10-km NABat grid cell will help guide acoustic data processers in species list selection, particularly biologists/data processors not experienced with the details of the local bat fauna. Goal: To provide users a default list of species to include for consideration during processing of bat acoustic files. In particular, this list will help users select which species to include when using automated identification software. Examples include, customizing species lists and comparing regional or subregional classifiers to the list of species that should be considered for a given NABat grid cell. The desired outcome is a single species list that accounts for species expected to occur within a NABat grid cell, as well as species that may occur within the cell (i.e., rare species, just outside existing species ranges, species with putative range expansions). Working group members sought a balance between a species list that was liberal (i.e., considered all the species that may occur in an area) yet did not include species that were unlikely to occur, which would lower confidence of automated identification software and suggest false positives for species identifications. Primary Audience: Users that are biologists but not experienced with the details of the local bat fauna. Examples include professional agency biologists that survey for a wide variety of taxa and participate in the NABat program intermittently within a given year, or bat biologists conducting surveys in a new locality for which they do not have a detailed understanding of the bat fauna. Users experienced with the local bat fauna likely already have a default list of species that should be considered in acoustic surveys. Such users are invited to reference these resources for consideration or to provide suggested updates such that their expertise may be represented in future iterations. Intended Product: A list accessible via the NABat Partner Portal that documents the suggested species to consider by grid cell (i.e., include in the species list) during acoustic survey analyses carried out for geographies of interest (e.g., cells selected for survey in a project). This product does not represent and should not be interpreted as altered or adjusted range maps. Versioning: We expect that species ranges will change over time and that we will learn more about contemporary distributions of individual species via the NABat program and other efforts. As such, the list of species to be considered in each cell should be updated over time. Working group members propose this should occur every 5 years and should be a task coordinated by the NABat Stationary Acoustic Working Group unless a quantitative procedure has been developed that would generate species lists based on data. Process: Working group members and state/provincial level points of contact (POC) reviewed existing, publicly available range maps and considered where edits to these polygons may be warranted to produce reasonable search area for each species. As part of this process, participants considered the possibility of expansion, contraction, or shifting ranges and provided input on search area polygons that would enable observation of any such changes to species occurrence and range boundaries. Individual input was based on training, education, and expertise of participants and their familiarity with known data records. Resulting species-specific feedback was based on local knowledge for a given species and potential rates and regions of range expansion. Participants refrained from providing input on species or geographies where they did not possess local knowledge. As a result, buffers were not extended into states or provinces where the search area polygon would intrude into a new state or province for a given species without state/provincial concurrence. Specific steps included: Generating digitally editable polygons that merged existing range map sources (Table 1 below). Digitally editable polygons of merged range maps by species were made available to Stationary Acoustic Working Group members and observers who were able to edit polygons to reflect their input on where specific species should be looked for based on their expertise. Digitally editable polygons of merged range maps by species were also distributed to state/provincial level points of contact (POC) for bats and their feedback invited on the proposed search area polygons. State/provincial POCs had the option to provide input directly and/or seek additional input from other local experts. Input from working group participants and POCs were compiled and integrated to create acoustic search area polygons for each species. Smoothed and simplified acoustic search area polygons were generated by species with additional 10-km terrestrial boundary buffers and off-shore buffers of 150-km when a species terrestrial range extended to the edge of the continent. Where range boundaries occurred along the Great Lakes, the search area boundaries were extended to the midpoint of the lake or were connected directly if the search area continued on the other side of the lake. Maps of the final species-specific Acoustic Search Areas (2025) are stored with the NABat Stationary Acoustic Working Group as an archive. Acoustic search area polygons were joined to each NABat grid frame to produce a default species list for each 10-km x 10-km grid cell. These default species lists by grid cell may be adopted for use in commercial and open-source software, on the NABat Partner Portal, and additional use cases not explicitly defined here. Table 1. Range Map Sources. Download Acoustic Search Areas by NABat Grid Cell