California Myotis (Myotis californicus) lives in desert scrub across Western North America. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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A real field recording of the California Myotis, made in the wild.
The California myotis has exceptionally tiny feet that measure only 5-7 mm, a dimension that is even smaller than those of the western small-footed myotis and therefore serves as a reliable field character for separating the two species. These diminutive feet sit on a body only 70-94 mm long and support a wing span of about 220 mm, giving the bat a delicate appearance.
Unlike most bat species, the California myotis is largely free of the ectoparasites that commonly afflict its relatives, such as fleas, ticks, flies and lice, with only occasional mites ever recorded on its dorsal wings. This relative cleanliness has been noted in surveys of wild populations, where researchers found the bats almost entirely devoid of these parasites.
When the California myotis needs to drink, it performs a low glide over the water surface, bending its head forward and opening its jaw to scoop liquid directly into its mouth. This behaviour is observed at preferred watering holes throughout the night, allowing the bat to hydrate without landing.
Each spring, female California myotis gather in loose bark or rock crevices to raise their young together. The colonies typically contain around twenty individuals, providing a communal roost for the mothers while the pups develop. Females give birth to a single pup per year, so the group size reflects the number of mothers rather than offspring. This social arrangement allows the bats to share a safe, sheltered site close to their foraging grounds.
A California myotis can survive for roughly fifteen years in the wild, which is unusually long for such a small bat. Their modest size, measuring only 70-94 mm in length, does not limit their longevity. Throughout winter they may either hibernate in mines or rock caves or stay active, adapting their behaviour to seasonal conditions. This extended lifespan gives them many breeding seasons over their life.
Sources
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As the sun dips below the horizon, a tiny, winged silhouette takes to the evening skies, the California Myotis embarking on its nocturnal hunt with an effortless ease, its delicate wings beating at a hypnotic pace as it navigates the twilight realm with echolocation's subtle guidance. With each flutter, it dances through the darkness, a master of the unseen, its high-pitched calls piercing the night air as it pursues the abundant insect life that fills the warm, California evenings. In this mystical world of sound and shadow, the California Myotis reigns supreme, a tiny, leathery monarch of the night.
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