Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes) lives in desert scrub across Southwestern North America. It feeds on insects and moths. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Fringed Myotis
- A fringed myotis can live more than 18 years while staying tiny, about 85 mm long and weighing just 8.8 g. Its ears are only 16.5 mm long, sticking out a mere 5 mm beyond the snout, and its hind foot measures 8-9 mm. Such compact dimensions let it slip into narrow rock crevices and tiny gaps in old buildings.
- When night falls, the fringed myotis fills its belly mostly with beetles, 60 % to 73 % of its meals, and a hefty share of moths, 36 % to 40 %. Its interfemoral membrane is lined with short, wire-like hairs that act like a tiny net, helping trap the insects it scoops from the air. By hovering or even landing on the ground to hunt, it exploits both flying and crawling prey, turning the desert shrubland and open water edges into all-you-can-eat buffets. This diet keeps insect populations in check, benefiting nearby crops.
- A single fringe-myotis pup is enormous for its size, it can weigh up to 22 % of the mother's body and be 54 % as long. After a gestation of 50 to 60 days, the newborn arrives in late June or early July, and within just over two weeks it can already take to the air. This rapid growth means mothers can return to foraging quickly, while the whole maternity colony, sometimes numbering hundreds, stays together in special roosts to keep the babies warm and fed.
- The fringed myotis, usually living between 1,200 m and 2,100 m, yet it has been spotted soaring at 2,850 m in New Mexico and dipping down to just 150 m in California.
- The fringed myotis announces its presence with a distinctive sonar sweep that drops down to 28-33 kHz.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSouthwestern North America
HabitatDesert scrub
DietInsects and moths
About the Fringed Myotis
In the twilight skies, the Fringed Myotis dances with an ethereal elegance, its delicate wings beating at a mesmerizing pace as it pursues the fleeting insects that fill the crepuscular air. With a fluid, aerodynamic motion, this small but agile bat navigates the intricate tapestry of trees and shadows, its large ears and keen senses guiding it through the darkness with uncanny precision. As it flits and weaves, the Fringed Myotis embodies the very essence of nocturnal wonder, a tiny, winged embodiment of the magic that unfolds beneath the starry veil of night.
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