Nebraska mammals

Western Small-footed Myotis in Nebraska

Myotis ciliolabrum

Native to Nebraska S4 Apparently Secure in Nebraska

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

Western small-footed myotis roosting on wood with its dark face mask visibleSmall group of western small-footed myotis roosting under a beamWestern small-footed myotis hanging against a pale roost surfaceWestern small-footed myotis showing small feet and folded dark wingsClose view of a western small-footed myotis face and dark ears in a narrow roost
Photo: Colin Croft · CC BYWestern small-footed myotis roosting on wood with its dark face mask visiblePhoto: Colin Croft · CC BYSmall group of western small-footed myotis roosting under a beamPhoto: Colin Croft · CC BYWestern small-footed myotis hanging against a pale roost surfacePhoto: Colin Croft · CC BYWestern small-footed myotis showing small feet and folded dark wingsPhoto: Colin Croft · CC BYClose view of a western small-footed myotis face and dark ears in a narrow roost

Western Small-footed Myotis in Nebraska, by the numbers

Occasional in Nebraska 37th most recorded of 95 mammals logged in Nebraska

61 occurrence records
28 with iNaturalist photos
Jun 23, 2026 Last seen in Nebraska

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the Western Small-footed Myotis in Nebraska

Most sightings fall in July to August.

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

Monthly Nebraska records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February0
March0
April5
May5
June8
July13
August20
September8
October1
November1
December0

Monthly western small-footed myotis occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Nebraska, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

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

Occurrence map

Where Western Small-footed Myotis has been recorded in Nebraska

61 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

61 Nebraska records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Ash Hollow State Historical Park 2
Nebraska National Forest 1

Protected places with the most western small-footed 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 Nebraska

CountyRecords
Scotts Bluff County 24
Dawes County 9
Banner County 5
Sioux County 5
Sheridan County 4
Cherry County 4
Cheyenne County 3
Garden County 2
Kimball County 2
Thomas County 2
Keya Paha County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 11 Nebraska counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Western small-footed myotis carry a NatureServe S4 apparently secure rank in Nebraska, and the record leans toward GBIF (60 records) over iNaturalist (28), reflecting how thoroughly cave and roost surveys document this small bat compared to casual sightings.

Records go completely silent from January through March and again in December, a clean signature of winter hibernation, before building to an August peak (20 of the year’s monthly-tallied sightings, nearly a third of the total) when maternity colonies are active and young bats are flying, consistent with the buttes and rock outcrops of western Nebraska this species favors for roosting.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Western small-footed myotis roosting on wood with its dark face mask visible
Full species profile Western Small-footed Myotis Myotis ciliolabrum Size 8–10 cm3.1–3.9 in Weight 4–5 g0.1–0.2 oz Lifespan 12 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Nebraska 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"