Montana’s long-legged myotis records tell a two-part story. In the mountain west, Ravalli and Missoula counties contribute steady reports from the forested ranges the species is known for. But the single heaviest county is Carter, down in the southeastern corner along the South Dakota line, with Fallon and Fergus counties adding to an eastern bloc that holds a real share of the state’s 73 records.
That eastern cluster is worth a second look. The pine-capped breaks and cedar draws of Carter County are a long way from the high Cascades-and-Rockies image of this bat, and the records there show a species using the rough, timbered islands of the plains as readily as the deep mountains. Or at least they show that someone ran nets and detectors there, which is the necessary caveat: 73 records across 13 counties still leaves most of a very large state unexamined.
July dominates the calendar, with June and August trailing, matching the heart of both the bat’s active season and the field season for the crews documenting it. NatureServe ranks the species vulnerable in Montana.
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