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Parastrellus hesperus

(Allen, 1864)

Canyon Bat

G5Secure Found in 16 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103623
Element CodeAMACC03010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderChiroptera
FamilyVespertilionidae
GenusParastrellus
Synonyms
Pipistrellus hesperus(H. Allen, 1864)
Other Common Names
Un Murciélago (ES) Western Pipistrelle (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Hoofer et al. (2006) revised the generic status of American pipistrelles and transferred Pipistrellus hesperus to the genus Parastrellus and Pipistrellus subflavus to the genus Perimyotis.

See Findley and Traut (1970) for information on geographic variation and subspecies. Subspecies santarosae was referred to as maximus by Hall (1981). The relationships of the genera Eptesicus and Pipistrellus are unclear; for several Old World species there is some uncertainty as to which is the appropriate genus (see Morales et al. 1991 and Hill and Harrison 1978).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2014-11-06
Change Date1996-11-05
Edition Date2015-04-01
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Large range in western United States and Mexico; numerous collection/observation sites; extensive roosting and foraging habitat; common to abundant in much of range; probably relatively stable or slowly declining; no major threats.
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the western United States and western Mexico, from southeastern Washington, eastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, Utah, western and southeastern Colorado, and southwestern Oklahoma (probably also the panhandle) southward through California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas to Baja California and Michoacan and Hidalgo, Mexico (Barbour and Davis 1969; Armstrong et al. 1994; Verts and Carraway 1998; Oliver 2000; Adams 2003; Simmons, in Wilson and Reeder 2005; Reid 2006; Geluso 2007; Hayes and Wiles 2013). The species probably occurs in extreme southwestern Wyoming (Bogan and Cryan 2000). The species is known to winter in Nevada, California, Arizona, and Texas, but the limits of winter range are not well known. Elevational range extends to about 2,100 meters in Texas (Ammerman et al. 2012) and 2,900 meters in Colorado (hibernaculum; Armstrong et al. 1994).
Occurrences Comments
The number of distinct occurrences has not been determined using standardized criteria, but the species is represented by a very large number of collection/observation sites in both the United States and Mexico.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known. Locally these bats may be negatively affected to some degree by various activities (e.g., mining, road construction, dam construction, agricultural development, livestock grazing) that destroy or alter roost sites or foraging areas, but roosts appear to be extremely numerous and usually not vulnerable, and the extent of suitable foraging habitat is vast. Broadcast applications of pesticides may have localized direct and indirect negative effects, but population impacts are undocumented.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes desert mountain ranges, desert scrub flats, shrub-steppe, rocky canyons, and associated riparian zones, particularly in areas with cliffs and most often (but not always) close to water (Barbour and Davis 1969, Wilson and Ruff 1999, Verts and Carraway 1998, Adams 2003). In some areas, these bats range into coniferous forest/woodland at higher elevations. Roosts include crevices in cliffs, rock outcrops, caves, mines, and buildings, and possibly sometimes rodent burrows and spaces under rocks. Night roosts may include sagebrush shrubs (Johnson and Cassidy 1997). The bats hibernate in caves, mine tunnels (Kuenzi et al. 1999), or rock crevices. Typically they visit water and drink immediately after emergence each evening. Young are born in rock crevices or in buildings.

Ecology

Individuals tend to roost singly or in very small groups.

Reproduction

Copulation occurs in fall and winter. Gestation lasts about 40 days. Births occur in late May, June, or early July (Verts and Carraway 1998, Kuenzi et al. 1999, Adams 2003, Ammerman et al. 2012). Litter size usually is 2, less often 1. Young fly at about 1 month. Maternity colonies comprise no more than a dozen individuals (adults and juveniles; Koford and Koford 1948); births may occur solitarily.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSavannaGrassland/herbaceousDesertBare rock/talus/screeCliffUrban/edificarian
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS3Yes
WashingtonS3Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
Navajo NationS5Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
ArizonaS5Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
UtahS4Yes
IdahoS3Yes
ColoradoS4Yes
TexasS3Yes
OregonS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentNegligible (<1%)—High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsNegligible (<1%)——
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & mining—Negligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsNegligible (<1%)——
5 - Biological resource useNegligible (<1%)—High (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceNegligible (<1%)—High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsNegligible (<1%)—Moderate (short-term)
7.2 - Dams & water management/use———
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge - restrictedNegligible or <1% pop. decline—
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
10 - Geological eventsNegligible (<1%)——
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (16)
Arizona (4)
AreaForestAcres
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
California (3)
AreaForestAcres
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Grant - BrunoHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,828
QuinnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest62,459
Stirling - JaybirdHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,468
New Mexico (4)
AreaForestAcres
Brushy MountainGila National Forest7,199
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Dry CreekGila National Forest26,719
Gila BoxGila National Forest23,759
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
References (42)
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