Eastern Small-footed Myotis (Myotis leibii) lives in eastern forests across Eastern North America. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its conservation status is Endangered.
Fascinating facts about the Eastern Small-footed Myotis
- It measures 65-95 mm long, spreads a 210-250 mm wingspan, and tips the scales at just 4-8 g (typical 4.0-5.25 g). Its namesake comes from hind feet no longer than 8 mm, even smaller than the <9 mm feet noted for Virginia specimens. Such miniature dimensions let it slip into rock cracks too tight for larger predators.
- These bats cling to the Appalachian spine, favoring rocky outcrops from 240 m up to 1,125 m elevation, yet they also appear at lower sites. In Virginia they're recorded at 750 m, while Pennsylvania sightings range 300-750 m. Their dependence on exposed stone means that any shift in forest cover or fire suppression that lets trees overgrow these heights can erase the few suitable niches they need to survive.
- During winter they vanish into about 125 caves and mines, often the shortest ones, just 150 m long, nestling near entrances where temperatures can dip below zero. They're among the last to hibernate in November and the first to awaken in early April, usually alone or in groups under 50. This cold-tolerant, solitary habit may shield them from some white-nose syndrome effects that devastate larger colonies.
- A single pup, weighing 20-35 % of its mother's mass, is the norm because gestation lasts 50-60 days and births occur in late May, early June. Females store sperm through the winter, mating in autumn, and the species is polyandrous, with individuals courting multiple partners. This low-reproductive output makes the population highly sensitive to sudden losses, as each adult female can replace only one offspring per year.
- Across all known hibernacula only about 3,000 individuals remain, with roughly 60 % clustered in just two New York sites. White-nose syndrome may have already cut numbers 12 % according to cave counts, and summer surveys hint at steeper 68-84 % declines in some states.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeEastern North America
HabitatEastern forests
DietInsects and spiders
About the Eastern Small-footed Myotis
In the fading light of dusk, the Eastern Small-footed Myotis takes to the skies, its delicate wings beating in a hypnotic rhythm as it navigates the labyrinthine corridors of forest and woodland with ease. With echolocation calls that pierce the evening air, this tiny, endangered bat probes the shadows for the insects that sustain it, its very existence a testament to the intricate web of life that binds our planet together. As it flits and weaves through the darkness, its small form silhouetted against the moon, the Eastern Small-footed Myotis embodies the quiet resilience of a creature fighting to survive in a world that often seems determined to forget it.
Hear the Eastern Small-footed Myotis, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
