Eastern Small-footed Myotis
| Eastern small-footed bat | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Myotis |
| Species: | M. leibii |
| Binomial name | |
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Myotis leibii Audubon & Bachman, 1842 |
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The eastern small-footed bat (Myotis leibii) is a species of vesper bat. It can be found in Ontario and Quebec in Canada and in the Eastern United States. It is among the smallest bats in eastern North America and is known for its small feet and black face-mask. Until recently all North American small-footed Myotis were considered to be "Myotis leibii". The western population is now considered to be a separate species, Myotis ciliolabrum. The Eastern small footed bat is rare throughout its range, although the species may be locally abundant where suitable habitat exists. Studies suggest white-nose syndrome has caused declines in their populations. However, most occurrences of this species have only been counted within the past decade or two and are not revisited regularly, making their population status difficult to assess. Additionally, bat populations in the Eastern U.S. have typically been monitored using surveys conducted in caves and mines in the winter, but small-footed bats hibernate in places that make them unlikely to be encountered during these surveys. As a result, numbers of small-footed bats counted in winter tend to be low and relatively variable compared to other species of bats. Many biologists believe the species is stable, having declined little in recent times, but that it is vulnerable, especially in its cave hibernacula.
The Eastern small footed bat is between 65 and 95 millimeters in length, has a wingspan of 210 to 250 millimeters, and weighs between 4 and 8 grams. The bat got its name from its abnormally small hind feet, which are only 7 to 8 millimeters long. The fur on the dorsal side of their body is dark at the roots, and fades to a light brown at the tips, which gives the bats a signature shiny, yellow-brown appearance. The fur on the dorsal side of the body is a dull gray color, which is believed to help camouflage themselves in their hibernacula. The defining characteristic of this bat is its face-mask, which is completely black. They also have black ears, wings and interfemoral membrane, (the membrane between the legs and tail). Like all bats, the Eastern small-footed bat has a patagium that connects the body to the forelimbs and tail, allowing the animal to fly. Their head is very flat and short, with a forehead that slopes gradually away from the rostrum, a feature that is unique to other individuals in the Myotis species. They have erect ears, which are very broad at the base and a short flat nose. They have a keeled calcar (protruding cartridge on the hind legs to support the interfemoral membrane) as well as a pointed tragus Their tail is between 25-45 millimeters in length and protrudes past their interfemoral membrane, and they have a dental formula of 2/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3.
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