Western Small-footed Myotis – State Wildlife Action Plan

A small, insectivorous bat, western small-footed myotis range from pale tan to orange-yellow on the back, contrasting with paler fur on the undersides. The black face, ears, and flight membranes contrast strikingly with the paler overall color of the fur.

Overview

Species Common Name Western Small-footed Myotis
Species Scientific Name Myotis ciliolabrum
State Listing Status Sensitive (pending)

Ecoregions

Blue Mountains

Located in NE Oregon, the Blue Mountains ecoregion is the largest ecoregion in the state. It provides a diverse complex of mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus that extend beyond Oregon into the states of Idaho and Washington.

Coast Range

Oregon's Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Columbia Plateau

The Columbia Plateau ecoregion was shaped by cataclysmic floods and large deposits of wind-borne silt and sand earlier in its geological history. It is dominated by a rolling landscape of arid lowlands dissected by several important rivers, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Cascades Mountains, south and east from the Columbia River to the Blue Mountains.

East Cascades

The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains' summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Klamath Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, the interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range, and the Rogue and Umpqua river valleys. Several popular and scenic rivers run through the ecoregion, including the Umpqua, Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate rivers. Historically, this ecoregion is known …

Northern Basin and Range

The Northern Basin and Range ecoregion covers the very large southeastern portion of the state, from Burns south to the Nevada border and from the Christmas Valley east to Idaho. It is largely a high elevation desert-like area dominated by sagebrush communities and habitats.

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Special needs

Western small-footed myotis are strongly associated with habitat occurring near cliffs or rocky structures, or caves/mines. The species shows a preference for roosting in crevices, which can make detection difficult. Western small-footed myotis have slow, erratic flight while foraging, and forage from about 1 m above the ground to the tops of trees. Their flight is highly maneuverable and they are therefore able to forage in complex habitats.

Limiting factors

Loss and disturbance of roosting habitat is a primary threat to western small-footed myotis. The species is also negatively affected by pesticide use, both from impacts to the availability of their insect prey and from direct toxicity from the pesticides themselves. Changing climate conditions may also impact western small-footed myotis, with drought conditions linked to declining reproductive success. Disease is a threat – the species is likely susceptible to white-nose syndrome.

Data gaps

•Study seasonal movements.
•Investigate social structure.

Conservation actions

•Protect cliffs, rock outcrops, talus slopes, caves, old mines, and other roost sites
•Protect and restore foraging habitats, including shrub-steppe, grassland, and riparian areas near cliff faces.
•Limit use of pesticides, and reduce or eliminate application near known roosting and foraging areas.
• Continue white-nose syndrome surveillance.
• Follow most recent decontamination protocols to prevent spread of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, Pseudogymnoascus destructans

Key reference or plan

North American Bat Monitoring Program in the Pacific NW. Read here