Dissected guano pellet showing antennae, eyes, and body fragments of midges.
Ernest Valdez, PhD
Ernie Valdez is a Research Wildlife Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center, and works at the New Mexico Landscapes Field Station in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Ernie received his doctorate degree in Biology, during 2006, at the University of New Mexico. His research interests span a variety of topics but are focused on conservation and ecology of insects and small mammals, with an emphasis on bats in temperate and tropical ecosystems. Ernie specializes in the feeding ecology and movement of insectivorous bats but also includes research on the ectoparasites of bats. His current projects include research related to white-nose syndrome, wind energy, and habitat use by bats at uranium mines in the Southwest.
Professional Experience
U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, New Mexico Landscapes Field Station, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 1997-present
National Biological Survey (NBS), Albuquerque, New Mexico. 1994-1996
U.S. Fish & Wildlife, Mid-continent Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado. 1991-1993
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, University of New Mexico (Advisor: Dr. J. Scott Altenbach)
M.S. in Biological Sciences, Fort Hays State University (Advisor: Dr. Jerry Choate)
Affiliations and Memberships*
Adjunct faculty member in Dept. of Biology at University of New Mexico 2007-present
Museum Research Associate in Division of Mammals at the Museum of Southwestern Biology 2007-present
Museum Research Associate in Division of Arthropods at the Museum of Southwestern Biology 2009-present
American Society of Mammalogists 1994-Life Member
Southwestern Association of Naturalists 1995-Life Member
Research Associate of Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research Center and Conservation 2005 to present
Western Bat Working Group 2003 to present (President 2015 to present)
New Mexico Bat Working Group 1997 to present (co-chair 2008-2009)
Arizona Bat Working Group 2003 to present
Colorado Bat Working Group 2002 to present
USGS Colorado Plateau Science Strategy Team 2015
Science and Products
Great diversity of KSα sequences from bat-associated microbiota suggests novel sources of uncharacterized natural products
Southwestern bats and their external bacteria
Seasonal activity and diets of bats at uranium mines and adjacent areas near the Grand Canyon
First record and diet of the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) from Guadalupe National Park and Culberson County, Texas
Streptomyces corynorhini sp. nov., isolated from Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii)
Skin and fur bacterial diversity and community structure on American southwestern bats: effects of habitat, geography and bat traits
Landscape movements by two species of migratory nectar-feeding bats (Leptonycteris) in a northern area of seasonal sympatry
Western bats as a reservoir of novel Streptomyces species with antifungal activity
Evaluating the effectiveness of wildlife detection and observation technologies at a solar power tower facility
Exposure pathways and biological receptors: baseline data for the canyon uranium mine, Coconino County, Arizona
Seasonal shifts in the diet of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Fort Collins, Colorado
Genetic characterization of the Pacific sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata rotensis) using mitochondrial DNA sequence data
The New Mexico Landscapes Field Station
New Mexico Landscapes Field Station: Wildlife Research
New Mexico Landscapes Field Station: People
External Microbiota of Bats as Potential Bio-control Against Wildlife Diseases
Ecology of Insect-eating Bats
Bat Fatalities at Wind Turbines—Investigating the Causes and Consequences
Surveillance for the Presence of White-Nose Syndrome in the Bat Community at El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Assessing Impacts to Ecosystems from Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon Region
Data related to great diversity of KSalpha genes from bat skin external microbiota, from Arizona and New Mexico, indicate novel PKSII biosynthetic gene clusters
Precipitation and acoustic monitoring results associated with Arizona 1 and Pinenut uranium mines collected 2015-2016
Radio telemetry data on nighttime movements of two species of migratory nectar-feeding bats (Leptonycteris) in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, late-summer 2004 and 2005
Dissected guano pellet showing antennae, eyes, and body fragments of midges.
Opening of a large lava tube at El Malpais National Monument in western New Mexico and likely roost for bats, 2011.
Opening of a large lava tube at El Malpais National Monument in western New Mexico and likely roost for bats, 2011.
Asunset photo, from El Malpais National Monument, NM.
Asunset photo, from El Malpais National Monument, NM.
This photo of a Pacific sheath-tailed bat is the last good photo of this bat from Aguiguan in existence.
This photo of a Pacific sheath-tailed bat is the last good photo of this bat from Aguiguan in existence.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 32
Great diversity of KSα sequences from bat-associated microbiota suggests novel sources of uncharacterized natural products
Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are multidomain enzymes in microorganisms that synthesize complex, bioactive molecules. PKS II systems are iterative, containing only a single representative of each domain: ketosynthase alpha (KSα�), ketosynthase beta and the acyl carrier protein. Any gene encoding for one of these domains is representative of an entire PKS II biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Bat skinAuthorsParis S. Hamm, Jennifer J.M. Hathaway, Ara S. Winter, Nicole A. Caimi, Debbie C. Buecher, Ernest W. Valdez, Diana E. NorthupSouthwestern bats and their external bacteria
Bat species diversity within the United States is greatest in the Southwest, with approximately 30 species present. At least 16 of these bat species hibernate and are susceptible to white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since 2006, millions of bats from 35 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces have died from WNS. In previous studies of external surfaAuthorsErnest W. Valdez, Emily M. Johnson, Edward W. Strach, Patrick A. Lewis, William C Briggs, Nicole A. Caimi, Ara S. Winter, Diana E. Northup, Jennifer J.M. HathawaySeasonal activity and diets of bats at uranium mines and adjacent areas near the Grand Canyon
Little information exists on the habitat use and feeding ecology of insectivorous bats in arid ecosystems, especially at and near uranium mines in northern Arizona, within the Grand Canyon watershed. In 2015–2016, we conducted mist-netting, nightly acoustic monitoring (>1 year), and diet analyses of bats, as well as insect sampling, at 2 uranium mines (Pinenut and Arizona 1) with water containmentAuthorsErnest W. Valdez, Mollie K Hanttula, Jo Ellen HinckFirst record and diet of the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) from Guadalupe National Park and Culberson County, Texas
The tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) occurs throughout the eastern United States, from Canada to south Florida and westward to eastern New Mexico, central Colorado, and western Texas. In this study, we document the first record of P. subflavus for both Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Culberson County, Texas. Our record extends the range of P. subflavus into the Trans-Pecos region of TeAuthorsMollie K Hanttula, Ernest W. ValdezStreptomyces corynorhini sp. nov., isolated from Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii)
Four bacterial strains, with the capability of inhibiting Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of white-nose syndrome, were isolated from male Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii, Family: Vespertilionidae) in New Mexico. Isolates AC161, AC162, AC208, and AC230T were characterised as a novel clade using morphological, phenotypic and phylogenetic analysis. A draft genomeAuthorsParis S. Hamm, Nicole A. Caimi, Diana E. Northup, Ernest W. Valdez, Debbie C. Buecher, Christopher A. Dunlap, David P. Labeda, Andrea Porras-AlfaroSkin and fur bacterial diversity and community structure on American southwestern bats: effects of habitat, geography and bat traits
Microorganisms that reside on and in mammals, such as bats, have the potential to influence their host’s health and to provide defenses against invading pathogens. However, we have little understanding of the skin and fur bacterial microbiota on bats, or factors that influence the structure of these communities. The southwestern United States offers excellent sites for the study of external bat baAuthorsAra S. Winter, Jennifer J. M. Hathaway, Jason C. Kimble, Debbie C. Buecher, Ernest W. Valdez, Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Jesse M. Young, Kaitlyn J. H. Read, Diana E. NorthupLandscape movements by two species of migratory nectar-feeding bats (Leptonycteris) in a northern area of seasonal sympatry
Animals often migrate to exploit seasonally ephemeral food. Three species of nectar-feeding phyllostomid bats migrate north from Mexico into deserts of the United States each spring and summer to feed on blooms of columnar cactus and century plants (Agave spp.). However, the habitat needs of these important desert pollinators are poorly understood. We followed the nighttime movements of 2 speciesAuthorsMichael A. Bogan, Paul M. Cryan, Christa D. Weise, Ernest W. ValdezWestern bats as a reservoir of novel Streptomyces species with antifungal activity
At least two-thirds of commercial antibiotics today are derived from Actinobacteria, more specifically from the genus Streptomyces. Antibiotic resistance and new emerging diseases pose great challenges in the field of microbiology. Cave systems, in which actinobacteria are ubiquitous and abundant, represent new opportunities for the discovery of novel bacterial species and the study of their interAuthorsParis S. Hamm, Nicole A. Caimi, Diana E. Northup, Ernest W. Valdez, Debbie C. Buecher, Christopher A. Dunlap, David P. Labeda, Shiloh Lueschow, Andrea Porras-AlfaroEvaluating the effectiveness of wildlife detection and observation technologies at a solar power tower facility
Solar power towers produce electrical energy from sunlight at an industrial scale. Little is known about the effects of this technology on flying animals and few methods exist for automatically detecting or observing wildlife at solar towers and other tall anthropogenic structures. Smoking objects are sometimes observed co-occurring with reflected, concentrated light (“solar flux”) in the airspaceAuthorsRobert H. Diehl, Ernest W. Valdez, Todd M. Preston, Mike J. Wellik, Paul M. CryanExposure pathways and biological receptors: baseline data for the canyon uranium mine, Coconino County, Arizona
Recent restrictions on uranium mining within the Grand Canyon watershed have drawn attention to scientific data gaps in evaluating the possible effects of ore extraction to human populations as well as wildlife communities in the area. Tissue contaminant concentrations, one of the most basic data requirements to determine exposure, are not available for biota from any historical or active uraniumAuthorsJo Ellen Hinck, Greg L. Linder, Abigail J. Darrah, Charles A. Drost, Michael C. Duniway, Matthew J. Johnson, Francisca M. Méndez-Harclerode, Erika M. Nowak, Ernest W. Valdez, Charles van Riper, S.W. WolffSeasonal shifts in the diet of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), Fort Collins, Colorado
Recent analyses suggest that the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) may be less of a beetle specialist (Coleoptera) in the western United States than previously thought, and that its diet might also vary with temperature. We tested the hypothesis that big brown bats might opportunistically prey on moths by analyzing insect fragments in guano pellets from 30 individual bats (27 females and 3 males) cAuthorsErnest W. Valdez, Thomas J. O'SheaGenetic characterization of the Pacific sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata rotensis) using mitochondrial DNA sequence data
Emballonura semicaudata occurs in the southwestern Pacific and populations on many islands have declined or disappeared. One subspecies (E. semicaudata rotensis) occurs in the Northern Mariana Islands, where it has been extirpated from all but 1 island (Aguiguan). We assessed genetic similarity between the last population of E. s. rotensis and 2 other subspecies, and examined genetic diversity onAuthorsSara J. Oyler-McCance, Ernest W. Valdez, Thomas J. O'Shea, Jennifer A. Fike - Science
The New Mexico Landscapes Field Station
The New Mexico Landscapes Field Station is a place-based, globally connected, ecological research group that studies ecosystem and wildlife dynamics, working with land managers, community leaders, and Tribes to deliver solutions that foster the linked health of human and natural systems. For over three decades, we have focused on shifting research needs from forest watershed health to wildlife...New Mexico Landscapes Field Station: Wildlife Research
Below are ongoing or completed research projects related to wildlife at the New Mexico Landscapes Field Station.New Mexico Landscapes Field Station: People
Staff, affiliates, and collaborators associated with the New Mexico Landscapes Field Station.External Microbiota of Bats as Potential Bio-control Against Wildlife Diseases
White-nose syndrome (WNS) and/or Pseudogymnoascus destructans (P.d.), the causal agent, has spread westward across 26 states and 5 provinces within the eastern United States and Canada, respectively, over a short period of time. Since its discovery there has been a search to stop the spread of this disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats in its wake. Recent collaborative work by FORT...Ecology of Insect-eating Bats
Bats are the only flying mammals that are active mostly at night and occur on all continents except Antarctica. Bats are ecologically diverse, with a range of species that specialize in feeding on fruit, nectar, blood, fish, small mammals, and insects. However, of the more than 1,100 known species of bats on Earth, the majority specialize in feeding on insects. In the United States for example, of...Bat Fatalities at Wind Turbines—Investigating the Causes and Consequences
Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world and represents an important step toward reducing dependence on nonrenewable sources of power. However, widespread deployment of industrial wind turbines is having unprecedented adverse effects on certain species of bats that roost in trees and migrate. Bats are beneficial consumers of agricultural insect pests and migratory species...Surveillance for the Presence of White-Nose Syndrome in the Bat Community at El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
In 1999 and 2000, FORT conducted a survey of bats at El Malpais National Monument and adjacent lands. During this study, several species of bats were documented, including some that are known to use caves or lava-tube formations as roosts. In the winter of 2006–2007, the fungus-caused disease known as “white-nose syndrome” (WNS) began devastating populations of hibernating bat species that use...Assessing Impacts to Ecosystems from Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon Region
The use of uranium is an alternative energy source to petroleum products and some of the United States’ highest quality ore is located on the Colorado Plateau. However, some regions where suitable mining efforts are conducted include areas that are near important environmental resources such as National Parks that provide viewscapes and habitat for wildlife. - Data
Data related to great diversity of KSalpha genes from bat skin external microbiota, from Arizona and New Mexico, indicate novel PKSII biosynthetic gene clusters
We documented the type two polyketide synthases(PKS II) gene diversity and novelty by sequencing KSalpha; genes known to synthesize bioactive small molecules. Sequences were derived from culturable bacteria isolated from bats in Arizona and New Mexico. We targeted the PKS II pathway which comprised a large proportion of the culture collection. Genomic analyses of a 16-member subset of bat bacteriaPrecipitation and acoustic monitoring results associated with Arizona 1 and Pinenut uranium mines collected 2015-2016
Acoustic monitoring stations were comprised of Wildlife Acoustics SMBAT2+ bat detectors powered by a 6v 36 AH (Powersonic, Model PS-6062NB) external battery and charged by a 6v solar panel (Brunton Solarflat) with a 6/12 voltage regulator (Rogue Engineering Inc.). Detectors were programmed to turn on at 1800 hours and monitor continuously throughout the night when triggered automatically by echoloRadio telemetry data on nighttime movements of two species of migratory nectar-feeding bats (Leptonycteris) in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, late-summer 2004 and 2005
These bat location estimates have been reported by Bogan and others (In press) and come in the form of a GIS shape file. Three species of nectar-feeding phyllostomid bats migrate north from Mexico into deserts of the United States (U.S.) each spring and summer to feed on blooms of columnar cacti and century plants (Agave spp). However, the habitat needs of these important desert pollinators are p - Multimedia
Dissected bat guano pellet showing antennae, eyes, and body partsDissected bat guano pellet showing antennae, eyes, and body parts
Dissected guano pellet showing antennae, eyes, and body fragments of midges.
Dissected guano pellet showing antennae, eyes, and body fragments of midges.
Lava tube opening/possible bat roost with pine forest above.Lava tube opening/possible bat roost with pine forest above.Opening of a large lava tube at El Malpais National Monument in western New Mexico and likely roost for bats, 2011.
Opening of a large lava tube at El Malpais National Monument in western New Mexico and likely roost for bats, 2011.
a sunset photo, both from El Malpais National Monumenta sunset photo, both from El Malpais National MonumentAsunset photo, from El Malpais National Monument, NM.
Asunset photo, from El Malpais National Monument, NM.
The last sheath-tailed bat photoThis photo of a Pacific sheath-tailed bat is the last good photo of this bat from Aguiguan in existence.
This photo of a Pacific sheath-tailed bat is the last good photo of this bat from Aguiguan in existence.
- News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government