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Small Mammals Abound
Bear, mountain lions, and coyotes are popular megafauna that invoke mystery because they are rarely seen. But large mammals aren’t the only ones that deserve attention. Small mammals play important roles in an ecosystem and are more interesting then you might think. As squirrels and chipmunks scurry up trees and dart through campgrounds, they act as important seed dispersers burying seeds in the ground. Some of the forgotten seeds eventually grow into new trees. Voles and small rodents are important food for raptors, owls and large mammals. In forests, small burrowing 
mammals can help with forest regeneration by turning up soil recycling nutrients back into the system.
On warm nights, if you are outside at dusk, you most likely will see a small, dark creature swooping by you looking for food. Bats are fascinating small mammals, and are very beneficial to an ecosystem. Bats dart through the evening sky catching insects as they dodge trees in complete darkness. You may also see these winged mammals sipping nectar from a flower or eating fruit off of a tree. Bats control some insect populations and are important pollinators of a variety of plants. These small creatures weighing sometimes no more than a nickel, occupy many areas in an ecosystem, using caves, trees and snags as roost sites.
Little is known about the types and numbers of bat species that occur within the Klamath Network National Parks. How many different species of bats occur in the parks? In which habitats do they prefer to live? How do they respond to changes in their home? These are just a few questions that biologists in the Klamath region try to answer through the Inventory and Monitoring Program. Having basic information about the types of bats that occur at the parks will help biologists make accurate decisions on how to effectively manage their land and conserve biodiversity.
Click on the small mammals and bat reports below to explore along with the biologist, the creatures of the Klamath National Parks.
Bats at Whiskeytown NRA, Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods, and
Crater Lake National Parks
Banner Photos: Deer Mouse, Glenn and Martha Vargas © California Academy of Sciences
Crater Lake NP | Oregon Caves NM | Redwood NP | Lassen Volcanic NP
Whiskeytown NRA | Lava Beds NM | NPS Klamath Network | SOU Home
An Outreach and Education Project made possible by the National Park Service, Klamath Network Inventory and Monitoring and Southern Oregon University
