Wildlife visitation at abandoned mines

Abstract Abandoned mines provide habitat for bats, but their importance to other wildlife is less understood. This descriptive study was designed answer the following questions with an emphasis on carnivores: are species than bats visiting abandoned mines, entering does visitation at differ seasonally, and individual mines? To address these questions, we monitored 50 using remote cameras in northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Colorado, USA, 25,201 camera days from May 2017 August 2020. We 2 phases. During phase 1 (May 2017–May 2019), 30 randomly selected gather baseline data carnivore model visitation. 2019–August 2020), 27 test determine if carnivores visited multiple as they traveled across landscape. observed >48 of vertebrates including 11 14 known occur Mountains. Carnivores ranged size ringtails ( Bassariscus astutus ) American black bears Ursus americanus ). Pumas Puma concolor most frequently pairs adult pumas presumably during courtship mating. also bears, pumas, common gray foxes Urocyon cinereoargenteus young. low levels throughout year differed by season, temperature, species, size, family. Our parsimonious generalized linear models identified mine elevation, entrance (portal) land cover type, tree cover, aspect significant predictors top explained ≥78% variation visits indicated that Mountains were likely visit small horizontal lower elevations dense piñon Pinus edulis )—juniper Juniperus sp.) woodlands. encourage resource managers monitor ≥1 prior closing or gating understand which might be affected closures.