Utah’s 15 California myotis records, led by Wayne County and Capitol Reef National Park, fit a tiny bat that roosts in rock crevices, caves, trees, and occasionally buildings across dry western landscapes. It typically hunts small moths and flies close to vegetation or water, using maneuverable flight rather than the high, fast sweeps of free-tailed bats.
June leads with 7 of those records, when warm canyon nights keep insects active and acoustic detectors are widely deployed, though a total this small says little about timing. That reporting peak cannot be converted into bat numbers. California myotis may shift roosts frequently and use very narrow cracks, so a feeding record can reveal suitable foraging habitat without identifying the day roost it came from.
Its S4 Utah rank fits a bat adaptable enough to roost in rock crevices, trees, and buildings alike, spreading its risk across roost types that some of Utah’s more specialized bats can’t fall back on.
Full species profile
