New Mexico mammals

Western Small-footed Myotis in New Mexico

Myotis ciliolabrum

Native to New Mexico S4 Apparently Secure 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.

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 New Mexico, by the numbers

Occasional in New Mexico 100th most recorded of 176 mammals logged in New Mexico

586 occurrence records
10 with iNaturalist photos
Jul 16, 2023 Last seen in New Mexico

Records from 2000–2026.

586 total records count every New Mexico occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 583 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Western Small-footed Myotis in New Mexico

Most sightings fall in June to July.

583 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
January6
February0
March10
April19
May87
June161
July188
August66
September32
October12
November2
December0

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

Seasonality

Year-round in New Mexico, with recorded sightings peaking in June–July.

Occurrence map

Where Western Small-footed 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
Apache Kid Wilderness 12
Chaco Culture National Historical Park 8
State Trust Land 7
Bandelier National Monument 4
Carlsbad Caverns National Park 3
Apache National Forest 2
Cibola National Forest 1
Sugarite Canyon State Park 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 New Mexico

CountyRecords
Socorro County 101
Hidalgo County 86
San Juan County 50
Bernalillo County 46
Cibola County 44
Santa Fe County 35
Doña Ana County 31
Sandoval County 25
Catron County 21
Rio Arriba County 20
Eddy County 19
Sierra County 15
14 other counties 93

The complete county distribution, spread across 26 New Mexico counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

This is one of the smallest bats in the American West, small enough to wedge into a narrow rock crevice, and it wears a distinctive black mask across pale fur. New Mexico ranks second among states for recorded sightings, just behind Colorado, with reports centered on Bandelier National Monument, Gila National Forest, and Valles Caldera National Preserve, all rocky highland country suited to a crevice specialist.

Monthly totals climb sharply from May and peak in July before dropping to almost nothing by winter, tracking when the bat is flying and detectable rather than a real change in numbers. With close to 600 records logged, this species sits in the occasional bucket for record frequency among New Mexico’s mammals, and NatureServe rates it apparently secure in the state.

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 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"