Ultrasound Diagnosis of Bat Pregnancy in Field Settings

Lydia H. Moore^1,*, Heidi Holland², Jason B. Robinson³, Windy Williford², and Samuel J. Holst⁴

¹Wormsloe Institute For Environmental History, 7601 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA, 31406. ²Lowcountry Vets, 168 Bluffton Road, Bluffton, SC 29910. ³Lotus Enterprises LLC, PO Box 23765, Lexington, KY 40523. ⁴Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 2065 US 278, Social Circle, GA, 30025. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 24, Issue 2 (2025): 116–123

First published early online: 18 May 2025

Abstract
Accurately documenting reproductive status is prerequisite for effectively monitoring wildlife population trends, population stability, and species-specific conservation objectives. Unfortunately, the accepted methods for determining reproductive status of North American bats can be subjective, and accuracy is influenced by experience of the handler. For small mammals other than bats, ultrasound can provide a reliable method for determining pregnancy. Our goal was to determine the efficacy of using ultrasound relative to abdominal palpation typically used by biologists to determine pregnancy in bats in the field. Although there are some advantages of using ultrasound in the field, this method did not outperform abdominal palpation substantively to warrant its expense.

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