Preferred Session: Natural History of Bats Type of paper: Poster Presentation Paper Title: Seasonal prey selection of Chiroptera in Northern California C. Lucas Vanderkar, California State University, Chico, 400 W 1st St., Chico, CA 95929, lvanderkar1@csuchico.edu, (209) 373-6976; Co–authors: Donald Miller; Shahroukh Mistry; and David Keller Abstract: The order Chiroptera is one of the most widely understudied groups of mammals, despite being the most diverse – over 1,400 species composing 20% of all mammals. The difficulty in studying these organisms lies in their nocturnal and elusive nature. One of the hardest puzzles to solve among the lives of bats are their diets. Nighttime foraging often occurs well above treetops and buildings and can be up to 60km away from roosting sites. Recent advancements in DNA metabarcoding have emerged as valuable tools for elucidating bat diets by providing comprehensive data on their feeding patterns. This study employs this method in conjunction with dissections of fecal pellets to investigate the diets of insectivorous bats living in Northern California. By integrating both molecular and morphological analyses, we aim to achieve a higher resolution of dietary data. Samples were collected from the rural landscape of Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve in Chico, CA, during Winter and Spring 2024. These findings will be compared with ongoing data collection from the Chico State University farm during Fall 2024, Winter 2024/2025, and Spring 2025. This research contributes to a greater understanding of bat diets, ultimately informing conservation strategies for these critically important yet vulnerable species.