A method for PCR-based identification of bat species from fecal samples

As bat populations are threatened by a range of factors, there is an increasing need to correctly identify and quantify the cumulative impacts of such factors to individual species. We have developed a fast and reliable method using the polymerase chain reaction to identify bat species from feces found near wind turbines at a north Texas wind farm. The primer sets we developed for the six species found at this site represent an efficient and cost-effective means of obtaining species information from fecal samples. Our approach could readily be applied to other species groups and applications (e.g., degraded carcasses recovered from hibernacula).