Jester Bat Count 2017 - page 2

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Saturday - February 4, 2017 - Jester Bat Count 2017 by Central Oklahoma Grotto (COG) Participants: Duane Del Vecchio, Carole & Dale Town, John VanDyke & Cole Talbot. Web report by Duane Del Vecchio Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.
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The swab goes into the tube and is broken off and closed so that it can be studied in a lab.	Then data on the bat is called out to the recorder. Sex, Species, Ceiling or Wall, Single or Group, and ...	any notice of fungus or abrasions on the wings or arms.
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About half of the bats are so heavy into slumber that they don't notice anything has happened.	Dale recording all the data from the two teams (Duane & Cole) and (Carole and John).	We did 8 swabs of tricolors and 17 of myotis. The samples go to the Dept. of Wildlife who ships them off to experts to do micro-analysis of the swabs.
Train Tunnel (1).JPG	Train Tunnel (2).JPG	Train Tunnel (4).JPG
So we left the resurgence after counting and swabbing. 2 hours total time.	Another part of the cave (kinda a side entrance near the middle of its length) is Train Tunnel. It's a quick pop in and out trip and we do it to see if there are any of the rare Long Ears sleeping in here.	4 myotis
Train Tunnel (5).JPG	Train Tunnel (6).JPG	Long ear.jpg
close up of a pip	Long Ear with ears rolled up	Good picture of a hibernating long ear
Homested (1).JPG	Homested (2).JPG	Homested (3).JPG
So the group left the resurgence and went to the Homestead and Glade entrances about 1 mile away.	Duane & Cole went down to Homestead as this is where you usually can find a few more Long Ears. We found 3 altogether.	Homestead used to be one way in. the small tunnels ended with small fist sized holes at the end to the outside. But during this last season the entire back side of this area collapsed and now you can go in either way. Lots of light!
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Meanwhile back in the main cave, Dale & Carole are having to measure large mats of bats and call them out to John.	Nice to see large mats coming back into this area. The entire wall used to be covered about 20 years ago.
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Closeup of a large mat of myotis	No WNS here... clean nose and arms
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Lots of closeups in this section for scientific observations
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John our official recorder	Carole counting
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Lots of cave crickets about too... might be the high water level.
Click on any photo to see an enlarged version.

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Last updated: 2/5/17