Site Fidelity, Winter Movement, and Pseudogymnoascus destructans Surveillance of Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) in Louisiana Culverts

A. Nikki Anderson^1,2,*, Amy Leslie¹, Carolyn Sheehy¹, Pete Pattavina³, M. Teague O’Mara^4,5,6,7, and Mark A. Mitchell^2,*

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341.²Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. ³United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Athens, GA 30601. ⁴Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX 78746.⁵Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA 70402. ⁶Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama. ⁷Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany. *Corresponding authors.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 25, Issue 2 (2026): 288–296

First published early online: 26 June 2026

Abstract
In Louisiana, limited natural hibernacula have led many bat species to overwinter in anthropogenic structures, particularly culverts, which may facilitate transmission of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent of white-nose syndrome. Following the first detection of Pd in Louisiana in 2021 from Tadarida brasiliensis (Mexican Free-tailed Bat), we conducted a multi-year mark–recapture and pathogen surveillance study at a culvert complex where Pd had been detected. From December 2022 to February 2025, we PIT-tagged and serially sampled 102 bats. Total recapture rate was 36.3%, with females exhibiting greater site fidelity than males. Pd was not detected, suggesting low prevalence, transient infection, or limited environmental persistence. Winter movement among culverts indicates potential for pathogen spread, highlighting the need for surveillance in anthropogenic roosts.

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