Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis) lives in mountain forests across Western North America. It feeds on insects & moths. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Long-eared Myotis
- Long-eared Myotis ears stretch 19-22 mm, making them the longest of any North American Myotis and giving them a crushing bite that can pierce beetle shells. Their robust molars and a high articular process generate extra chewing force, letting them smash hard carapaces that most bats avoid.
- Females give birth to a single newborn weighing 1-1.5 g and measuring about 7-8 cm, then form maternity colonies of 5-30 individuals in summer. Pregnant bats choose shallow, warm rock crevices that heat quickly, letting them keep a higher body temperature at lower energetic cost. After giving birth, mothers move to deeper vertical crevices that stay warmer longer, protecting helpless pups that cannot yet thermoregulate.
- These bats hunt both by aerial hawking and by gleaning insects off surfaces, switching echolocation use accordingly. When hawking, they rely on echolocation calls; when gleaning, they lower call amplitude or stop calling entirely, instead listening for prey-generated sounds. This dual strategy lets them capture moths that have evolved to evade echolocation, giving the species a dietary edge in habitats where moths dominate the night sky.
- Long-eared Myotis roosts from sea level up to 2,830 m (9,280 ft), occupying semiarid shrublands, short-grass prairie, and subalpine forests. They favor rock crevices, especially vertical ones with overhangs, but in northern areas they also use ponderosa and lodgepole pine snags. Roosts are typically far from water and lack dense vegetation.
- Long-eared Myotis can live up to 22 years in the wild, though most individuals die far sooner.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeWestern North America
HabitatMountain forests
DietInsects & moths
About the Long-eared Myotis
In the velvety darkness of a summer evening, the Long-eared Myotis unfurls its delicate wings, a whispered promise of aerial acrobatics to come. As it takes to the skies, its oversized ears twitching with every faint rustle, this diminutive bat navigates the intricate tapestry of sound and shadow with effortless ease, its very existence a testament to the magic that unfolds beneath the radar of our waking world. With each deft, darting maneuver, the Long-eared Myotis weaves an enchanting spell of wonder, its nocturnal realm a mystical domain of mystery and enchantment.
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