South Dakota mammals

Long-legged Myotis in South Dakota

Myotis volans

Native to South Dakota S4 Apparently Secure in South Dakota

Not listed as nonindigenous in South Dakota by USGS NAS; native to its South Dakota 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.

Long-legged myotis roosting on tree bark with wings foldedAI-generated image: Long-legged myotis roosting on tree bark. No additional license-safe photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracyAI-generated image: Long-legged myotis tucked under a loose bark flap. No additional license-safe photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy
Photo: Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC BY-SA 4.0Long-legged myotis roosting on tree bark with wings foldedAI-generated image No additional license-safe photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracyLong-legged myotis roosting on tree barkAI-generated image No additional license-safe photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracyLong-legged myotis tucked under a loose bark flap

Long-legged Myotis in South Dakota, by the numbers

Rare in South Dakota 73rd most recorded of 100 mammals logged in South Dakota

2 occurrence records
2 with iNaturalist photos
May 16, 2022 Last seen in South Dakota

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the Long-legged Myotis in South Dakota

Most sightings fall in May.

2 South Dakota occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly South Dakota records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February0
March0
April0
May1
June0
July1
August0
September0
October0
November0
December0

Monthly long-legged myotis occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in South Dakota, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Sparse observation record in South Dakota; presence confirmed but timing of activity not well documented.

Occurrence map

Where Long-legged Myotis has been recorded in South Dakota

2 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

2 South Dakota records mapped

Where it's recorded in South Dakota

CountyRecords
Lawrence County 2

The complete county distribution, spread across 1 South Dakota counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

South Dakota’s long-legged myotis record since 2000 comes down to 2 reports, both from Lawrence County in the northern Black Hills. Older specimens from Harding County’s Cave Hills and Slim Buttes, the rest of the Black Hills, and the Badlands predate that window.

Dry badlands and cave country might not look like classic habitat for a forest bat, but the long-legged myotis roots its days in rock crevices and cliff faces as readily as in trees, and it hunts over whatever the night offers. NatureServe ranks it apparently secure in the state, one of its better standings anywhere.

The two recent reports fall in May and July, too few to read a season from. Records show when bats and people meet, not the whole of what the bats are doing.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Long-legged myotis roosting on tree bark with wings folded
Full species profile Long-legged Myotis Myotis volans Size 8.3–10.6 cm3.3–4.2 in Weight 6–10 g0.2–0.4 oz Lifespan 21 yr View the full profile

More mammals in South Dakota 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