Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) lives in northern forests across North America. It feeds on insects & spiders. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
Fascinating facts about the Northern Myotis
- In the northeastern portion of its range the northern long-eared bat has suffered a catastrophic decline, with surveys showing a 99% drop in numbers. This crash is driven by white-nose syndrome, which is identified as the species' primary threat. The severe loss prompted federal protection, first as a threatened species in 2015 and later as endangered in 2023. Ongoing monitoring continues to track the impact of the disease on remaining colonies.
- The northern long-eared bat's ears are exceptionally long, extending well past the nose when folded forward, a feature that distinguishes it from other Myotis species. This forward-projecting shape is accentuated by a long, pointed tragus that adds to the ear's overall length.
- During spring and summer the northern long-eared bat abandons its daytime roost about every two days, moving to a new tree or artificial structure on average. Roost trees are typically clustered, with each site located within roughly 600 m of suitable foraging habitat, allowing the bat to stay close to food sources.
- The northern long-eared bat navigates dense forest interiors using echolocation calls that are unusually short, quiet and high-pitched, ranging from 126 to 60 kHz. Its calls have a classic frequency-modulated structure that works well in cluttered environments, letting it detect prey and obstacles among trees. This acoustic profile is higher-pitched than those of other Myotis species, giving it a stealthy edge when flying slowly under the canopy.
- Instead of catching insects on the wing, this bat plucks moths, beetles, flies and other insects from leaves and bark in a technique called gleaning. Gleaning lets it exploit prey hidden on surfaces that aerial hunters miss, and it mainly forages under the forest canopy or at its edge. Most feeding activity occurs in the first two hours after sunset, when insects are most active.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatNorthern forests
DietInsects & spiders
About the Northern Myotis
In the twilight skies of North America, the Northern Myotis bat dances on the whispers of the wind, its delicate wings beating at a hypnotic pace as it pursues the faint echoes of unsuspecting insects. With each agile swoop, this nocturnal hunter weaves an intricate tapestry of sound and motion, its high-frequency calls piercing the darkness like a thousand tiny lanterns. As it flits and darts through the shadows, the Northern Myotis embodies the very essence of mystery and adaptability, a true marvel of evolution.
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