Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus)
Image Copyright (c) Merlin D. Tuttle
Description: Body length about 2.4-4.0″, with a 9-11″ wingspan. Glossy pale tan to dark brown, evenly colored fur. Long hairs on toes. Small, black pointed ears with blunt tragus.
Range: Woodland, forest bat. May be the most abundant bat in North America. Ranges from Alaska to Monterey, then down Sierras, across Canada and US. Typically absent from hot, dry lowlands.
Habitat: Roosts in large groups in caves, rock crevices, hot attics, buildings and bat houses. Also use dead and dying trees near water. Migrates to hibernation caves and mines. Hibernate in caves and mines.
Diet: Emerges at late dusk. Emerging aquatic insects including gnats, crane flies, mosquitoes and mayflies, as well as beetles, moths, bugs, flies. Can eat more than their body weight each night.
Behavior: Lifespan 34 years or more. Forage over water and around trees and lawns. Give birth to one pup which can fly at 14 days. Baby kept beneath wing during day.
Risks: Removal of snags, alterations in riparian areas, timber harvest and forest recreation which causes disturbance. Also closure of cold mines used for hibernation.
