California mammals

Cave Myotis in California

Myotis velifer

Native to California S1 Critically Imperiled in California

Not listed as nonindigenous in California by USGS NAS; native to its California range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Cluster of cave myotis bats roosting on a cave ceiling in TexasGroup of cave myotis bats clustered together in a rock creviceCave myotis roosting alone on a cave wallCave myotis clinging to a mineral-streaked cave wallCave myotis roosting in a narrow crevice under a bridge
Photo: USGS · Public domainCluster of cave myotis bats roosting on a cave ceiling in TexasPhoto: Ansil B.R. · CC-BYGroup of cave myotis bats clustered together in a rock crevicePhoto: Ansil B.R. · CC-BYCave myotis roosting alone on a cave wallPhoto: Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC-BYCave myotis clinging to a mineral-streaked cave wallPhoto: Natasha Haggard · CC-BYCave myotis roosting in a narrow crevice under a bridge

Cave Myotis in California, by the numbers

Occasional in California 95th most recorded of 241 mammals logged in California

397 occurrence records
1 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

397 total records count every California occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 396 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Cave Myotis in California

Most sightings fall in July to August.

396 California occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly California records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February7
March0
April46
May26
June36
July123
August123
September24
October8
November1
December2

Monthly cave myotis occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in California, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in California, with recorded sightings peaking in July–August.

Occurrence map

Where Cave Myotis has been recorded in California

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 California records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Riverside Mountains Wilderness Area 229

Protected places with the most cave myotis sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in California

CountyRecords
Riverside County 344
San Bernardino County 44
San Mateo County 6
Los Angeles County 3

The complete county distribution, spread across 4 California counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Cave Myotis records in California fit dry scrub, rocky canyons, and sandy or gravelly ground.

Reports center on the Mojave and Colorado deserts, including Death Valley and the Joshua Tree region. They show where people have documented the species, and they don’t rank California’s best habitat.

California records span more than one season. Gaps and clusters in reports can reflect when and where people looked, not true absence or abundance.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Cluster of cave myotis bats roosting on a cave ceiling in Texas
Full species profile Cave Myotis Myotis velifer Size 5–6 cm2–2.4 in Weight 12–15 g0.4–0.5 oz Lifespan 10 yr View the full profile

More mammals in California in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"