The California myotis is widely distributed across Arizona but rarely photographed, and its record trail reflects that. Open databases hold 22 occurrences for the species statewide, yet only 11 of those are iNaturalist photos. The other 11 come through GBIF, and that is how most bats enter the record: netted, measured, or logged by acoustic detector rather than caught on camera.
A tiny bat that ranges the whole state
This is one of Arizona’s smallest bats, a four-gram insect hunter with long, narrow wings built for slow, fluttering flight low over water and through cluttered vegetation. The spread is thin but still reaches seven counties, from the Sky Island canyons of Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz to Petrified Forest National Park in Apache County, with single records from Mohave, Maricopa, and Gila. That breadth fits a generalist that roosts in rock crevices, tree bark, and buildings and forages wherever night insects gather, especially along desert washes and streamside corridors.
A warm-season record
So few records can’t show a firm seasonal pattern, though nearly all fall between April and October, with June the busiest month. That fits the bat’s biology: warm nights bring an explosion of flying insects and the formation of maternity groups where females raise a single pup. As nights cool, California myotis drift into torpor and hibernation in sheltered roosts, all but disappearing from the record until the following spring.
Common questions
Is the California myotis common in Arizona? It is widespread and, by conservation ranking, apparently secure across the state, but it is easy to overlook. Small size, nocturnal habits, and a preference for cluttered flyways make it far easier to net or detect than to photograph.
Full species profile
