{{Short description|Species of vesper bat}} {{Speciesbox |name = Long-legged myotis |image = Myotis volans.jpg |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Solari, S. |date=2019 |title=''Myotis volans'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T14210A22069325 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T14210A22069325.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> |genus = Myotis |species = volans |authority=H. Allen, 1866 | range_map=Myotis volans map.svg }}
The '''long-legged myotis''' ('''''Myotis volans''''') is a species of vesper bat that can be found in western Canada, Mexico, and the western United States.<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Chiroptera | id = 13802563 | page = 518}}</ref>
== Description == ''Myotis volans'' is a species of bat found in Order Chiroptera, Family Vespertillionidae. They are closely related to ''Myotis lucifugus'' (little brown bat) and ''Myotis thysanodes'' (fringe-tailed bat).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = http://www.science.smith.edu/resources/msi/pdfs/i0076-3519-224-01-0001.pdf|title = Mammalian Species: Myotis volans|date = November 14, 1984|access-date = October 30, 2015|publisher = The American Society of Mammalogists|last = Warner|first = Richard}}</ref> Three sub-species have been identified.<ref name=":0" />
They are the second largest myotis species found in the western United States. They have a wingspan of 10-12 inches and an average body mass of 7.5 grams.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title = Bats of the Rocky Mountain West|last = Adams|first = Rick|publisher = University Press of Colorado|year = 2003|isbn = 0-87081-736-1|location = Boulder|url-access = registration|url = https://archive.org/details/batsofrockymount00rick}}</ref> ''Myotis volans'' is also known as the long-legged myotis due to their longer tibia length compared to other myotis species. Their pelage is light brown to chocolate brown or reddish brown and they have short, rounded ears.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title = Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans)|url = http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/longlegmyotis/|website = tpwd.texas.gov|access-date = 2015-11-18}}</ref> When their ears are pushed toward their nose, the tips of their ears just reach their nostrils.<ref name=":0" /> Their most distinguishing characteristic is that they have fur on the underside of the wings that extends from their body to their elbows and knees.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> They have a keel on their calcar.<ref name=":1" /> This species does show sexual dimorphism such that females tend to be slightly bigger than males.<ref name=":0" />
== Ecology ==
=== Range and Habitat === The range of ''Myotis volans'' spans from Alaska in the north, through the western United States, and into Mexico.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Acoustic Surveys Reveal Hoary Bat ( Lasiurus cinereus ) and Long-Legged Myotis ( Myotis volans) in Yukon|journal = Northwestern Naturalist|pages = 176–185|volume = 95|issue = 3|doi = 10.1898/13-08.1|first1 = Brian G|last1 = Slough|first2 = Thomas S|last2 = Jung|first3 = Cori L|last3 = Lausen|year = 2014| s2cid=85647727 }}</ref> They have been recorded as far east as North and South Dakota, Nebraska and western Texas.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> Their range extends southward to Mexico City.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />
They live in various habitats which include: ponderosa pine woodlands, coniferous forests, pinyon-juniper woodlands, oak woodlands, mountain meadows and riparian zones.<ref name=":1" /> They have been captured in desert habitats as well.<ref name=":0" /> In mountainous areas, they prefer mid-slope elevations where there is an abundance of food.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|title = Foraging Ecology of Long-Legged Myotis (Myotis volans) in North-Central Idaho|journal = Journal of Mammalogy|date = 2007-10-18|issn = 0022-2372|pages = 1261–1270|volume = 88|issue = 5|doi = 10.1644/06-MAMM-A-254R1.1|first1 = Joseph S.|last1 = Johnson|first2 = Michael J.|last2 = Lacki|first3 = Michael D.|last3 = Baker|doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Geographic Variation in Roost-Site Selection of Long-Legged Myotis in the Pacific Northwest|issue=6|pages=1218–1228|jstor=40801116|journal = Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=74|date = August 2010|last = Lacki|first = Michael|doi=10.1111/j.1937-2817.2010.tb01242.x|bibcode=2010JWMan..74.1218L}}</ref>
=== Diet === ''Myotis volans'' are insectivorous and their diet consists mainly of moths.<ref name=":4" /> They will eat other insects such as flies and lacewings or some smaller sized beetles.<ref name=":0" /> They will leave their day roosts to forage just before sunset and peak foraging takes place in the first four hours after emergence.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> They have been known to forage all hours of the night.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
== Behavior ==
=== Roosting === These bats prefer to roost under the bark of trees, but will also use crevices in rocks, caves, or buildings.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Temperatures Beneath Bark of Dead Trees used as Roosts by Myotis volans in Forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA|journal = Acta Chiropterologica|pages = 143–151|volume = 15|issue = 1|doi = 10.3161/150811013x667948|first1 = Michael J.|last1 = Lacki|first2 = Joseph S.|last2 = Johnson|first3 = Michael D.|last3 = Baker|year = 2013| s2cid=86046550 }}</ref> They will migrate elevation-wise by moving to higher elevations in mountainous areas during the summer.<ref name=":1" /> They use caves and mines for hibernation.<ref name=":0" />
=== Mating and reproduction === Mating takes place in late summer to early fall.<ref name=":0" /> Females will delay fertilization by holding the sperm in their reproductive tract until spring.<ref name=":0" /> The young are born between June and August.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Each female will bear only one pup per litter.<ref name=":1" /> The females will form large nursery colonies that can number up to hundreds of individuals.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" /> Females will leave their pups with the colony while they feed and return to the colony multiple times during the night to nurse their young.
== Physiology == The long-legged myotis has been known to remain active in temperatures down to 15 °C.<ref name=":0" /> Since these bats hibernate during the winter months, they use torpor. The bat's feet are specialized to allow the bats to hang upside down without expending energy. The feet do this by locking the toes in place with the help of scaly tendons when the bat is hanging.<ref name=":1" /> They also have cavities in their head that pool blood away from their brains while they hang upside down.<ref name=":1" />
==See also== *Bats of Canada
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Myotinae nav}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q2753100}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Mouse-eared bats Category:Bats of Canada Category:Bats of the United States Category:Bats of Mexico Category:Mammals described in 1866 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Category:Least concern biota of the United States