ABSTRACT
Many ecological risk assessment's (ERA) for terrestrial sites in the eastern United States include a consideration of the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). The heightened concern for this species is well understandable; it has been on the endangered species list since 1973, and has seen its numbers plummet by approximately 50% since that time. In 2007, the devastating white-nose syndrome has been responsible for the death of some six million Indiana bats. While interest over the well-being of the species is keen, certain aspects of its biology, in addition to concerns several practical assessment approaches, would suggest that Indiana bat ERA treatments are fully unnecessary. As an offshoot benefit of the newly gained awareness concerning the scope of ERAs, future ecological assessments stand to rightly focus their attention on core matters only. An ERA treatment for the bat would, at best, only entail a food model/HQ exercise, investigating contaminant transfer to the bat via its dietary uptake route.
