The southeastern myotis is the only Myotis species in the United States that regularly produces twin offspring, a pattern not seen elsewhere in the genus. This tiny bat weighs just 5-8 g and inhabits the Gulf Coastal Plain and Lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain. While all other Myotis females usually give birth to a single baby, southeastern females often raise two pups at once.
The southeastern myotis's diet is dominated by caddisfly larvae, which make up 59.0 % of its food intake, giving it a diet diversity index of 3.26. Unlike many other Myotis species, it shows low diet diversity and was observed consuming few arachnids and beetles. Its feeding habit is most similar to the eastern pipistrelle, sharing a strong preference for trichopterans.
The southeastern myotis ranges from southern Illinois and Indiana in the north, westward into southeastern Oklahoma, western Tennessee and Arkansas, and northeastern Texas, extending eastward to the southern part of North Carolina. Within this broad area it survives in isolated pockets, notably disjunct populations in Kentucky's Ohio River Valley.
The southeastern myotis selects roost trees that have the smallest diameter at breast height that are still large enough to form cavities, and it gathers in tightly packed groups at the apex of those cavities. This preference leads the bats to cluster densely, which may aid in thermoregulation and predator avoidance. Besides trees, the species also uses caves, cisterns, abandoned buildings and under-bridge spaces for roosting when suitable trees are scarce.
The southeastern myotis is closely tied to bottomland hardwood wetlands, habitats that once covered a vast area of the southeastern United States. Today only an estimated 15-25 % of those pre-colonial forested wetlands remain, dramatically shrinking the bat's preferred environment. This loss restricts the availability of the water-adjacent roosting and foraging sites the species relies on, making remaining wetland patches crucial for its survival.
Sources
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In the warm, humid nights of the southeastern United States, the Southeastern Myotis takes to the skies, its delicate wings beating in a hypnotic rhythm as it pursues the insects that dance in the moonlight. With echolocation calls that pierce the darkness, this small but formidable bat navigates the labyrinthine waterways and forests, its agility and precision allowing it to exploit a realm that is hidden from most other creatures. As it flits and weaves through the shadows, its very existence is a testament to the magic and mystery that still lurks in the unlit corners of our world.
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