Zoology
The Zoology Program strives to document the occurrence, distribution and conservation status of all the animal species that are native to Montana in a manner compatible with NatureServe and the network of natural heritage programs across the United States and Canada. Starting in 2018, we have also centralized similar information on non-native animal species present in natural habitats or with the potential to invade natural habitats in Montana. We do this by centralizing information published in scientific journals and government reports, theses, dissertations, and unpublished reports from agencies and organizations. We also centralize credible survey and detection information that is gathered by museums, government agencies, tribal nations, university researchers, private organizations, and private individuals. Finally, we directly gather distribution and status information in conjunction with agency, tribal, and organizational partners by conducting field surveys for species of special interest.
Our core spatial information products include records of surveys that use standardized protocols to detect individual species or groups of species, detections resulting from those surveys as well as incidental observations, breeding populations of Species of Concern which we call Species of Concern occurrences, range polygons, predicted habitat suitability models for individual species, and cumulative predicted habitat suitability for various biodiversity groups. We also use this spatial information to assess the rarity of species across the state and combine that with information on trends in the status of Montana’s populations over time and threats faced by these populations to assess the conservation status of each species in Montana. Similarly, we work with NatureServe to assign global conservation status ranks to each species by assessing their rarity, trends, and the threats they face across their entire global range. We use conservation status rank information to maintain Montana’s Animal Species of Concern list so that agencies, tribal nations, organizations, and private individuals can avoid impacts to populations that might needlessly imperil these species.
Finally, we provide descriptive information on the general appearance, generalized distribution, biology, habitat use, food habits, ecology, reproductive characteristics, management, and scientific literature associated with each species in accounts on the Montana Field Guide.
Program highlights
- Collaboratively monitored Montana bat populations and the impacts of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, with ultrasonic acoustic recordings, mist netting, and monitoring of winter roost populations.
- Documented the distribution and status of Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in Montana on the lower Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers.
- Systematically reviewed conservation status ranks for all vertebrate species.
Expertise
- Vertebrate species inventory
- Vertebrate population monitoring
- Acoustic monitoring of bats and amphibians
- Monitoring of lentic breeding amphibians and aquatic reptiles
- Raptor monitoring
- Small mammal trapping
- Disease surveillance for white-nose syndrome
- Taxonomy of Montana’s animal species
- Species distribution modeling
2024 Program Focus
- Support Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks in their development of a 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan, including identification of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and Species of Greatest Inventory Need.
- Systematically review the conservation status ranks for all of Montana’s vertebrates.
- Coordinate implementation of the North American Bat Monitoring Program within Montana through collaborative acoustic, mist-net, and roost monitoring.
- Document the distribution and status of Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in Montana on the lower Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers.
- Continue to integrate data gathered via iNaturalist into the program’s data system.
- More completely represent all invertebrate species on the Montana Field Guide and throughout the program’s data system.
