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Eastern Small-footed Bat
- Scientific name: Myotis leibii.
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Weight: 3-4 grams. Wingspan: 21-25 centimeters.
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Distribution: Eastern Canada and New England south to Alabama and
Georgia and west to Oklahoma.
- Ecology and Behavior: This is the
smallest bat in the eastern United States. Eastern small-footed bats
hibernate in caves or mines and are among the hardiest cave bats in the
eastern United States. They are one of the last to enter the caves in
autumn and often hibernate near cave or mine entrances where temperatures
drop below freezing and where humidity is relatively low. Several have
been found hibernating in cracks in cave floors and under rock slabs in
quarries and elsewhere. In summer they often inhabit buildings and caves.
They often fly repeated patterns within less than one meter of the floor
of a cave or crevice, hang up on the wall, and then fly again. These bats
emerge to forage shortly after sunset. They fly slowly and erratically,
usually 1-3 meters above the ground.
- Food Habits: Apparently these
bats fill their stomachs within an hour after beginning to forage in the
evening. They consume flies, mosquitoes, true bugs, beetles, ants, and
other insects.
- Reproduction: One young is born each year: probably
in late spring or early summer. Small nursery colonies of 20 bats or fewer
have been reported from buildings. Lifespan is unknown but may be more
than 9 years.
- Status of Populations: Eastern small-footed bats are
rare throughout their range, although they are more common in the northern
rather than southern United States.
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