{{Short description|Species of bat}} {{Speciesbox |name=Fringed myotis |image=Fringed Myotis.jpg |status=LC |status_system=IUCN3.1 |status_ref=<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Arroyo-Cabrales, J. |author2=de Grammont, P.C. |date=2017 |title=''Myotis thysanodes'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T14206A22063246 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T14206A22063246.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> |genus = Myotis |species = thysanodes |authority = Miller, 1897 |range_map=Myotis thysanodes map.svg }}
The '''fringed myotis''' ('''''Myotis thysanodes''''') is a species of vesper bat that is found in British Columbia, Mexico, and the western United States.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />
==Description==
''Myotis thysanodes,'' or the fringed myotis, has the shortest ears of the long-eared myotis group.<ref name="Miller, G.S. 1897. p. 802">{{cite journal | last1 = Miller | first1 = G.S. Jr | year = 1897 | title = Revision of the North American bats of the family Vespertilionidae, p. 80 | journal = North American Fauna | volume = 13 | pages = 1–135 | doi=10.3996/nafa.13.0001| hdl = 2027/hvd.32044066289422 | url = https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700993/ | hdl-access = free }}</ref> The fringed myotis gets its name from the distinct fringe of short, wire-like hairs found on the membrane between its hind legs.<ref name="Miller, G.S. 1897. p. 802" /> With a lifespan that can reach upwards of 18 years, this species has an average total body length of roughly {{convert|85|mm}} and an average weight of {{convert|8.8|g}}.<ref name="Miller, G.S. 1897. p. 802" /><ref name="Schmidly, D 19912">Schmidly, D. 1991. ''Bats of Texas''. College Station:Texas A&M University Press.</ref> Ear length is about {{convert|16.5|mm}} and they project roughly {{convert|5|mm}} beyond its snout.<ref name="Schmidly, D 19912" /> The hind foot is {{convert|8|-|9|mm}} and the tail is {{convert|37|-|40|mm}}.<ref name="Grinnell">{{cite book |last1=Grinnell |first1=Joseph |last2=Storer |first2=Tracy Irwin |title=Animal life in the Yosemite: An account of the mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians in a cross-section of the Sierra Nevada |date=1924 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley, Calif. |page=57 |url=https://archive.org/details/animallifeinyose00grinrich/page/57/mode/1up |access-date=11 September 2023}}</ref> Sexual dimorphism is seen in this species with males being much smaller than their female counterparts.<ref name="Miller, G.S. 1897. p. 802" /><ref name="Schmidly, D 19912" /> They possess a pelage that is full and tends to be light yellow-brown or olive on the back with an off-white color on its underside.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=O'Farrell|first=Michael|date=1980|title=Myotis Thysanodes|journal=Mammalian Species|issue=137|pages=1–5|doi=10.2307/3503773|jstor=3503773|doi-access=free}}</ref> Northern populations tend to have darker coloration.<ref name=":1" /> The dental formula of ''Myotis thysanodes'' is {{DentalFormula|upper=2.1.3.3|lower=3.1.3.3}}.<ref name="Schmidly, D 19912" />
== Ecology ==
=== Diet ===
The diet of the fringed myotis consists mainly of beetles (60 to 73%) and other flying insects, mainly moths (36-40%), which appear later in the evening, as well as arachnids and orthopterans.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal | last1 = Black | first1 = H.L. | year = 1974 | title = A north temperate bat community: structure and prey populations | journal = Journal of Mammalogy | volume = 55 | issue = 1| pages = 138–157 | doi=10.2307/1379263| jstor = 1379263 }}</ref> Additionally, it has been suggested that the wire-like hairs along its interfemoral membrane act to help trap the insects it catches in flight.<ref name="Miller, G.S. 1897. p. 802"/><ref name="Schmidly 2004">{{cite book|last=Schmidly|first=D. J.| date=2004|title=The Mammals of Texas| publisher=University of Texas Press| isbn=978-0-292-70241-7}}</ref> The fringed myotis has been known to hover, and to land on the ground in search of prey.<ref name=":0" /> It forages over water and open habitats, and also gleans from foliage.<ref name=":0" />
=== Range and habitat === The fringed myotis resides mainly in the western United States and can be found as far north as British Columbia and as far south as Mexico.<ref name="Schmidly 2004"/> It's primarily found in desert shrublands, sagebrush-grassland, and woodland habitats consisting of Douglas fir, oak, and pine trees.<ref name="Jones 1983">{{cite book|last=Jones| first= J. K.| date= 1983| title= Mammals of the northern Great Plains| publisher= University of Nebraska Press| isbn=978-0-8032-2557-2}}</ref> The fringed myotis typically inhabits elevations of 1,200-2,100 m but has been observed at altitudes as high as 2,850 m in New Mexico<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bats of America|last=Barbour|first=R.W.|publisher=University Press of Kentucky, Lexington|year=1969|location=Kentucky}}</ref> and as low as 150 m in California.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Orr|first=R|date=1956|title=The distribution of Myotis thysanodes in California|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|volume=37|issue=4|pages=545–546|doi=10.2307/1376654|jstor=1376654}}</ref>
== Behavior ==
=== Roosting === This species has been reported to have used a wide variety of structures such as caves, mines, and buildings as day roosts during the summer months.<ref name="Lacki 2007">{{cite journal| last1=Lacki| first1= M. J.| last2= Baker| first2= M. D.| date= 2007| title= Day roosts of female fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) in xeric forests of the Pacific Northwest| journal= Journal of Mammalogy| volume= 88| issue=4| pages= 967–973| doi=10.1644/06-MAMM-A-255R.1| doi-access= free}}</ref><ref name="Weller 2001">{{cite journal| last1=Weller| first1= T. J.| last2= Zabel| first2= C. J.| s2cid= 17165601| date= 2001| title= Characteristics of fringed myotis day roosts in northern California| journal= The Journal of Wildlife Management| volume=65| issue=3|pages= 489–497| jstor=3803102| doi=10.2307/3803102}}</ref> Unfortunately, roosting behaviors during the winter months are largely unknown.<ref name="Schmidly 2004"/> While the majority of recorded day roosts have been in rock crevices, those members living in the pacific northwest can often be found roosting in tree snags.<ref name="Weller 2001"/>
=== Echolocation === The fringed myotis can be identified by the frequency of its echolocation. Most notably, the call begins with a downward sweep to 28–33 kHz.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Keinath|first=Douglas|date=2003|title=Species Assessment for Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes) in Wyoming|journal=United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management}}</ref>
=== Activity === The fringed myotis is nocturnal, being active within five hours after sunset and having the greatest activity one to two hours after sunset.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> Activity level is low to none during periods of precipitation, since rain interferes with echolocation, flight, and thermoregulation. Rain also decreases insect activity.<ref name=":3" /> The months of October through March are spent hibernating. This species may migrate short distances to find a suitable place to hibernate.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />
=== Flight === With short, broad wings, this species is built to fly at low speeds but is capable of high maneuverability due to its wings having a low aspect ratio (wing length / wing width).<ref name="Miller, G.S. 1897. p. 802"/> They tend to stay close to the vegetative canopy while hunting in flight and possess wings with a high puncture strength. This characteristic is often seen in species that forage near thorny or thick vegetation.<ref name=":1"/>
=== Mating and reproduction === The majority of mating seems to occur in the autumn months with ovulation, fertilization, and implantation occurring between late-April to mid-May.<ref name="Schmidly, D 19912"/><ref name=":1"/><ref name="Bogan 1996">{{cite journal| last1=Bogan| first1= M. A.| last2= Osborne| first2= J. G.| last3= Clarke| first3= J. A.| date= 1996| title= Observations on bats at Badlands National Park, South Dakota| journal=The Prairie Naturalist| volume= 28|issue=3|pages=115–123| url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1136&context=usgsstaffpub}}</ref> The gestation period will typically last from 50 to 60 days resulting in the young being born in late June to mid-July.<ref name="Schmidly, D 19912"/><ref name=":1"/><ref name="Bogan 1996"/> Each litter produces only one pup and in this species, it's extraordinarily large. The newborn's weight can be up to 22%, and its length up to 54%, of the mother's.<ref name=":1"/> For the first couple weeks of their life, the young will stay in special "maternity roosts" where several females will stay behind to nurse the young while the other females leave the roost each night to forage.<ref name="Miller, G.S. 1897. p. 802" /> Although not entirely precocial, the pups are able to fly just over two weeks after birth.<ref name="Schmidly, D 19912"/>
==See also== *Bats of Canada
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Myotinae nav}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q2783421}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Mouse-eared bats Category:Bats of Canada Category:Bats of the United States Category:Bats of Mexico Category:Mammals described in 1897 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Category:Least concern biota of the United States