Date of Award

Spring 5-9-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Science

Department

Biological Sciences

College

College of Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics

Committee Chair

Dr. Douglas Barron

Second Committee Member

Tsunemi Yamashita

Third Committee Member

Matthew Anderson

Fourth Committee Member

Tom Nupp

Program Director

Tom Nupp

Dean of Graduate College

Michael Bradley

Abstract

The Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens; OBEB) is federally endangered in Arkansas, where it persists in a few small, geographically restricted populations within the Ozark National Forest. Although the region contains many caves that appear suitable for OBEB, expanded survey efforts are needed to locate additional roost sites for monitoring and protection. Effective conservation also requires a clear understanding of their distribution and diet. Traditional cave surveys can be disruptive and often miss cryptic species, and earlier diet studies based on manually sorting prey remains provided only coarse taxonomic resolution and overlooked soft‑bodied insects. To address these limitations, we applied molecular approaches that use DNA extracted from guano to confirm species presence and characterize diet composition—a technique which has never before been used for OBEB. We validated genetic assays capable of reliably identifying OBEB from guano by generating the first OBEB cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) reference sequence in GenBank and confirming that our mini‑barcode assay distinguished OBEB from co‑occurring bat species. We then paired guano DNA sampling with visual surveys to assess OBEB presence at 26 suspected, but unconfirmed, cave sites along the southeastern edge of their range in Arkansas. Our surveys documented OBEB presence at three new caves, two through guano DNA and one through visual observation. Diet metabarcoding of 46 guano samples revealed no regional differences in the insect families consumed by OBEB, but clear seasonal shifts were evident: spring diets were dominated by Noctuidae, Erebidae, and Geometridae; summer diets incorporated additional families such as Crambidae and Notodontidae; and fall diets included a smaller set of families such as Drosophilidae and Cecidomyiidae. Comparisons with big brown bats and gray bats showed significant niche partitioning of insect resources at the order level. Together, these results refine the known distribution of OBEB in Arkansas, clarify patterns of diet variation, and demonstrate that guano DNA analysis can strengthen monitoring and conservation for this endangered, cryptic species.

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