USE OF CAVES BY EASTERN WOODRATS (NEOTOMA-FLORIDANA) IN RELATION TO BAT POPULATIONS, INTERNAL CAVE CHARACTERISTICS AND SURFACE HABITATS

We assessed use of caves by eastern woodrats (Neotoma floridana) in no rth-eastern Oklahoma by examining distributions of old and new fecal p ellets. Old pellets were found in all 18 caves examined. No significan t difference was noted in numbers of plots with old pellets for transe cts along left, center and right regions of all cave passages. Further , no difference was noted when numbers of plots with old pellets along both walls were pooled and then compared to those in the middle of pa ssages. Length of each cave passage was subdivided into three zones (e ntrance, middle and deep). Numbers of plots with old pellets decreased significantly from entrance to deep zones in caves with few bats (<50 bats at a single time). However, in caves with many (greater-than-or- equal-to 50) bats at a single time, no significant decrease was noted in plots with pellets from the entrance to deep zones. No significant difference was noted between plots with old pellets near the entrance of caves with many and few bats. Caves that were used by many bats had more plots with old pellets in middle and deep zones than did caves w ith few bats. Distributions of new pellets were positively correlated with distributions of old pellets. Reasons for woodrat use of middle a nd deep zones of caves remain unclear; most of these areas have no rea dily apparent resources except for aggregations of bats.