PLEISTOCENE BATS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, WITH COMMENTS ON THEIR HYPOTHETICAL OCCURRENCES IN NORTH CAROLINA

The Pleistocene mammalian fossil record in North Carolina is sparse, and the occurrence of fossil bat material is wholly non-existent. Herein we report on the hypothetical occurrence of Pleistocene bats in North Carolina based on previously published reports of fossil material taken from 11 surrounding states that had similar habitats during glacial and interglacial periods. Fifteen species, representing eight genera, likely occurred in North Carolina during the Pleistocene epoch. Two species of vampire bats (Desmodus sp.) are known by Pleistocene records from two states included in this study and may have inhabited North Carolina during the Wisconsin glacial interval. Moreover, the disjunct eastern population of Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) and the numerous fossil records of the gray myotis (Myotis grisescens) portend that both species might have inhabited North Carolina during the Pleistocene.