New Mexico mammals

Cave Myotis in New Mexico

Myotis velifer

Native to New Mexico S3 Vulnerable in New Mexico

Not listed as nonindigenous in New Mexico by USGS NAS; native to its New Mexico 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 New Mexico, by the numbers

Common in New Mexico 31st most recorded of 176 mammals logged in New Mexico

699 occurrence records
1 with iNaturalist photos
Jan 31, 2025 Last seen in New Mexico

Records from 2000–2026.

699 total records count every New Mexico occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 682 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Cave Myotis in New Mexico

Most sightings fall in April to May.

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

Monthly New Mexico records (table)
MonthRecords
January52
February1
March71
April150
May118
June78
July21
August107
September46
October27
November7
December4

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

Seasonality

Year-round in New Mexico, with recorded sightings peaking in April–May, with a smaller rise in August.

Occurrence map

Where Cave Myotis has been recorded in New Mexico

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 New Mexico records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
State Trust Land 3
Carlsbad Caverns National Park 2
Living Desert State Park 1
Carson Other 1
Aden Lava Flow Wilderness Area 1

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 New Mexico

CountyRecords
Eddy County 528
Lincoln County 66
Hidalgo County 52
Chaves County 15
Lea County 11
Grant County 9
De Baca County 4
Sierra County 2
Bernalillo County 2
Socorro County 2
Catron County 2
Colfax County 1
4 other counties 5

The complete county distribution, spread across 16 New Mexico counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Cave myotis roost in colonies inside the caves, cliff crevices, and abandoned mines of southern and central New Mexico, which is why sightings cluster near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and the rugged canyon country of Gila National Forest. This small insect-eating bat rarely turns up far from a suitable roost.

Nearly every one of the state’s 699 records comes from specimen and survey data rather than photographs, a reminder that a bat flying at night is far harder to document than a squirrel in a picnic area. Records rise sharply in April, then again in August, months that likely track survey and banding schedules more than the bat’s own activity.

NatureServe rates the cave myotis vulnerable (S3) in New Mexico even though the species is more secure (G4) across its full range, a sign that the state’s roost sites carry real conservation weight.

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 New Mexico 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"