DISTRIBUTIONAL LIMITS OF BATS IN ALASKA

Bats in temperate regions are relatively well studied, yet little rese arch has focused on the northern limit of their distribution. We docum ent the northwestern extent of bats in North America using museum hold ings, literature records, and field research in Alaska. Six bat specie s are confirmed from Alaska: Myotis lucifugus, M. keenii, M. californi cus, M. volans, Lasionycteris noctivagans, and Eptesicus fuscus. M. lu cifugus occurs throughout much of Alaska south of the Arctic Circle, w hereas four other species occur only in Southeast Alaska. Climate, roo st availability, extent of forested habitat, geographic barriers, leng th of night, and prey abundance appear to influence the distribution o f bats in Alaska, although the relative contribution of these factors is unknown.