Organochlorine residues in the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus.

Abstract

Adult big brown bats'(Eptesicus fuscus) were collected from the attic of a two-story brick house in Pittsburg, Kansas, during the evenings of 30 and 31 March 1982. Non-lethal organochlorine residue concentrations were found in the brain tissues. Pesticides identified included p,p'-DDT, heptachlor, DOE, and dieldrin. These results appear to reflect the presence of pesticides, in the brain tissue of the big brown bat, from those being applied currently for pest control. They may constitute a hazard to this colony and other colonies of bats in the area. Observations by Dr. Horace Hays and his students at Pittsburg State University have shown that both the big brown bat and the endangered gray bat populations are declining in the Pittsburg area.