The winter surveys are conducted with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and other Pennsylvania state agencies. The purpose of these studies is to track populations of hibernating bats at specific sites over a number of years. The surveyors also check a number of new and repeat certain old surveys in hopes of finding specific endangered and threatened species.

Do you know of a mine or cave in Pennsylvania and are interested in what biology thrives inside? Submit an information request to find out! We appreciate any information on sites not included in our records. Many abandoned mine portals which are discovered to be significant habitat resources are often reported by local landowners. You can suggest a site anywhere in Pennsylvania and it may be added to the PA Game Commission's survey database after gaining landowner's permission, and carefully and safely field checking the site. There is no fee to have a site field checked in Pennsylvania.
Photograph: Chris Sanders tallies a cluster of 75 little brown on the wall in Seawra Cave. Easily disturbed, several bats awakened from hibernation and took to the air. Many significant sites like this one are surveyed only once every two years.

1/19/99 Poe Paddy Railroad Tunnel, Centre County, PA

Total: 24; LB: 14; SF: 1; BB: 8; PIP: 1

1/21/99 Steifel Park Mine, Beaver County, PA

Total: 1049; LB: 1030, PIP: 17, BB: 2

1/20/99 US Steel Mine #2, Armstrong County, PA

Total: 5257; LB: 5251, PIP: 3, NLE: 3

1/25/99 Salisbury Mine/Cave, Somerset County, PA (Indiana bat discovered!)

Total: 1268; LB: 889, PIP: 196, BB: 172, NLE: 6, SF: 4, IND: 1

1/25/99 Fire Clay Mine, Fayette County, PA

Total: 4411; LB: 3765, PIP: 42, BB: 592, NLE: 12

1/27/99 Laurel Caverns, Fayette County, PA

Total: 951; LB: 867, PIP: 64, BB: 17, NLE: 3

1/27/99 Washington's Cave, Fayette County, PA

Total: 1; NLE: 1

1/27/99 Old Man Mine, Greene County, PA

Total: 0

1/28/99 Fruit Hole Cave, Westmoreland County, PA Photos soon!

Total: 896; LB: 850, PIP: 43, NLE: 3

2/1/99 Seawra Cave, Mifflin County, PA

Total: 797; LB: 759, PIP: 23, NLE: 18, SF:0, IND:0

2/2/99 Mt. Rock Cave, Mifflin County, PA

Total: 50; BB: 29, LB: 9, PIP: 10, NLE: 2

2/2/99 --- Iron Mine, Mifflin County, PA

Total: 1944; BB: 2, LB: 1885, PIP: 38, NLE: 19

2/3/99 Canoe Creek Mine #2, Blair County, PA

Total: 15178; LB: 14784, PIP: 9, NLE: 5, SF:6, IND:352

2/4/99 Aitkin Cave, Mifflin County, PA

Total: 2264; BB: 7, LB: 2130, PIP: 82, NLE: 2, SF: 5, IND: 20

2/8/99 Woodward Cave, Centre County, PA

Total: 2041; BB: 18, LB: 1884, PIP: 78, NLE: 53, SF:8

2/9/99 Sharer Cave, PA

Total: 372; LB: 317, PIP: 41, NLE: 14

2/10/99 Dunlap Cave, Blair County, PA

Total: 0

2/15/99 Mud Cave, Fayette County, PA

Total: 272; LB: 186, PIP: 84, BB: 2

2/16/99 Tunnel, Somerset County, PA

Total: 82; BB: 77, LB: 0, PIP: 1, NLE: 1, SF:3

2/17/99 Turnpike Railroad Tunnel

Total: 2202; BB: 11; LB: 1352; PIP: 810; NLE:6; IND: 23

2/18/99 Joe Iron Mine #1

Total: 39; LB: 7, PIP: 3, NLE: 24, BB: 5

2/18/99 Joe Iron Mine #5

Total: 59; LB: 50, PIP: 8, NLE: 1

2/20/99 Askon Hollow Cave, Fayette County, PA

Total: 76; BB: 4, LB: 33, PIP: 26, NLE: 1

2/21/99 Eagle Nest Pit, Bradford, PA

Total: 2; LB: 2

2/22/99 Ansonville Shaft, Clearfield County, PA

Total: 0

2/23/99 Bottomless Ladder Pitch Cave, Mifflin County, PA

Total: 15; PIP: 14, NLE: 1

2/24/99 Canal Tunnel, Lebanon County, PA

Total: 1; BB: 1

2/24/99 Ackworth Tunnel, Dowingtown, PA

Total: 1; BB: 1

2/24/99 Coatsville Bombshelter, Coatsville, PA

Total: 0

2/25/99 Copper Mine, Audubon, PA

Total: 20; LB: 2, PIP: 6, NLE: 12

KEY: LB: Little Brown Myotis lucifugus, PIP: Eastern Pipistrelle Pipistrellus subflavus, BB: Big Brown Eptesicus fuscus, NLE: Northern Long Eared Myotis septentralis, SF: Small Footed Myotis leibii, IND: Indiana Myotis sodalis

Photograph: a usually solitary Eastern pipistrelle clings along with a little brown bat for a rare configuration in a Westmoreland County cave.

All photographs in this entire "winter survey" section are by John Chenger unless noted.