The western small-footed myotis is a tiny insect-eating bat of Arizona’s rocky, arid country, one of the smallest bats in the state at only a few grams. Open occurrence databases hold 180 records for it in Arizona, most of them from specimen collections and roost or acoustic surveys rather than photographs, since a bat this small and this fast is almost impossible to catch on camera.
Where it roosts and forages
Records reach from the canyons and cliffs of Mohave County down through the southeastern ranges of Cochise and Pima counties, including the Coronado National Forest. The species is a crevice specialist, tucking into cracks in rock faces, cliff bands, and the walls of old mines by day, then hunting moths and other small insects at night over desert washes, riparian strips, and canyon bottoms. Its distribution follows broken, rocky terrain far more than any particular plant community.
Why winter records are sparse
Records are more frequent in warm months, when the bat is flying and surveys are active. As nights cool, small-footed myotis move into caves and abandoned mines to hibernate. They can remain in torpor for months while insects are scarce. Sparse winter records reflect reduced activity and survey opportunity, not confirmed absence.
Status in Arizona
NatureServe ranks the western small-footed myotis S3, vulnerable, in Arizona and native to the state, while listing it as secure across its broader western range. Like most cave- and mine-hibernating bats, it is sensitive to roost disturbance and to white-nose syndrome spreading westward, which keeps it on the watch list even where it is not yet rare.
Full species profile
