This is the most time that I have spent underground without seeing a bat or guano. Other wildlife, principally woodrats, deer mice, and ringtail cats are resident. The temperatures within the mines are appropriate for winter roosts of Plecotus , although their distinctive guano was not seen. Few bats were observed flying around Soledad Mountain at night or heard with the bat detector. High winds are a constant evening feature of Mojave.
Small bats have difficulty flying in strong winds.
Flying insects, upon which bats feed, are also conspicuously low in numbers, especially on windy evenings. These may be the reasons for the low numbers of bats in an area which otherwise would appear to provide favorable habitat.