Using iNaturalist to monitor the roosting behavior of bats in Panama

Abstract

Chiropterans are important mammals of conservation concern across Neotropical regions, facing a number of threats, including increasing levels of urbanization, leading to habitat loss. Despite this, many species of bats regularly utilize a variety of roosting sites, including both natural and man-made structures. Methods for monitoring bat populations include citizen science applications. The roosting habits of tropical bats has seldom been assessed on the most widespread citizen science app, iNaturalist. To this end, I characterized images of observations of bats in Panama. I report on 344 observations, with 59.9% roosting in natural habitats versus 29.6 % roosting in man-made environments, respectively. The most commonly observed species include Rhynchonycteris naso, Uroderma bilobatum, and Artibeus jamaicensis. Total observations increased annually, indicating the potential for future conservation monitoring. I recommend bat researchers utilize iNaturalist as a tool to study roosting selection and habitat use by bats, as this application is likely to increase in use.