The Northern long-eared myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) is a small bat

Bat

Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...

, typically 5-10 g and 84 mm in total length . The fur is dull brown on the dorsum and yellowish on the venter. Compared to other Myotis species, these bats have long ears with a relatively long tragus in each ear.

General habits

Females give birth to 1 pup each summer and often form large maternity colonies (30-60 individuals) consisting mainly of females and their young. In the fall, northern long-eared bats migrate to caves to hibernate. Migration distances are not known for this species. Northerns are often found roosting singly in caves, rather than in the large clusters typical of other Myotis species, like Myotis sodalis.

Foraging

Northern long-eared bats are well-suited to foraging in the forest interior. Echolocation calls have a classic frequency-modulated (FM) structure that allows these bats to navigate through cluttered environments. Further, their small size allows for more agility in dense vegetation. Long ears allow northerns to find even stationary insects. Northerns' diets are focused on moths (Lepidoptera), which they often capture by gleaning, or plucking, the insects from a surface. Gleaning is a unique foraging habit for insectivorous bats since many capture their prey in flight.

Distribution

This species is found primarily in coniferous forest from Newfoundland to the Yukon

Yukon

Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....

, and in the southeastern United States through to Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. Specimens have been found as far west as British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 and Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

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