There is a South Carolina paucity of information available about the distribution
of South Carolina bats in the southeastern United States, according to the study conducted by Goley in 1996 that was recorded and distributed and summarized by the South Carolina natural history department at the South Carolina university in which 11 of 14 South Carolina bats were summarized by DiSalvo and other contributors in 2002.
There are several South Carolina maps provided by South Carolina university and they are not inclusive of museum records, capture records reported in the literature, or records from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. United Bat Control did synthesized records from museums, bat captures, and South Carolina bats submitted for rabies testing to provide a more accurate and useful distribution for natural resource managers and those planning to research South Carolina bats distributional informational documents including maps, collection localities within counties, and literature references, for all 14 species of South Carolina bats.
The 7,770,000 South Carolina bats are divided into four physiographic provinces, the Lower Coastal Plain, Upper Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge Mountains. A detailed description of the physiographic provinces and vegetational community types of South Carolina bats was provided by the research study done by Horton in 1991. The four South Carolina physiographic provinces influence the structure and composition of both floral and faunal communities through their differences in physical location, climate, geology, topography, and historic and current land use patterns. South Carolina bats live in warm temperate to subtropical climate, with a growing season of approximately 190-200 days in the mountainous northwest portion to nearly 300 days along the coast. Statewide, summers are long and warm with average temperatures of 27 “C and winters are short and mild with average South Carolina temperatures of 9 “C (Horton 1991).
Recognizing the vital role of bats in South Carolina’s ecosystem, particularly in rural areas like the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Coastal Plain region, is crucial. Bats act as natural pest controllers, aiding in the management of insect populations that threaten crops and forests. Additionally, in urban areas such as Columbia and Charleston, bats contribute to pollination and seed dispersal, supporting the growth of diverse vegetation and maintaining ecological balance. Preserving bat populations in South Carolina is vital for sustaining the state’s biodiversity and ensuring the health of its natural habitats.
From an environmental perspective, safely removing bats from commercial and residential properties in South Carolina is imperative for human safety and environmental preservation. In densely populated areas like Greenville and Myrtle Beach, where bats may seek shelter in buildings, employing proper exclusion methods is necessary to mitigate potential health risks associated with bat guano and diseases such as rabies. Implementing humane exclusion techniques and advocating for bat-friendly practices can help property owners protect public health while preserving the ecological benefits that bats provide to South Carolina’s diverse ecosystems.
List of the 20 largest cities in South Carolina: 1. Columbia 2. Charleston 3. North Charleston 4. Mount Pleasant 5. Rock Hill 6. Greenville 7. Summerville 8. Sumter 9. Spartanburg 10. Goose Creek 11. Hilton Head Island 12. Florence 13. Myrtle Beach 14. Aiken 15. Anderson 16. Greer 17. Mauldin 18. Greenwood 19. North Augusta 20. Easley