Weight: 4-6 grams

Distribution:

Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan to the southwestern United States.

[Call File1] [Call File2] [Call File3] [Call File4] [Call File5] [Call File6] [Call File7] [Call File8]
[Call File9] [Call File10] [Call File11] [Call File12] [Call File13] [Call File14] [Call File15] [Call File16]
[Call File17] [Call File18] [Call File19] [Call File20] [Call File21] [Call File22] [Call File23] [Call File24]
[Call File25] [Call File26] [Call File27] [Call File28] [Call File29] [Call File30] [Call File31] [Call File32]
[Call File33] [Call File34] [Call File35] [Call File36]

[Spectrograph]

Ecology and Behavior:

Color varies from pale yellow-brown on the back to nearly white ventrally. The flight membranes, ears, and face are contrasting black. The western small-footed bat seems to prefer arid habitats where it is associated with cliffs, talus fields, and, in the prairies, with clay buttes and steep riverbanks. This species roosts in crevices in rock faces and clay banks, it may use the spaces beneath and between boulders in talus fields, and it also has been found roosting beneath bark and in barns. The western small-footed bat begins its nightly activity at dusk shortly after sunset with peaks of activity between 2200 and 2300 hours and 0100 and 0200 hours. It flies slowly and erratically as it forages as heights of 1-3 meters (3-10 feet) along cliffs and rocky slopes, and it may forage over water when not in association with the California bat, which usually hunts over and near water. In British Columbia, the proportions of different species of prey taken by the western small-footed bat and the California bat are similar. It appears that these species co-exist by spatial partitioning of the available food resource. Hibernation sites include caves and mines.

Food Habits:

Foods consist of small insects; flies, beetles, and moths.

Reproduction and Longevity:

One baby usually is born in June, but twins also occur.

Status of Populations:

Locally common.

Text, in its original form, provided by T. L. Best, M. J. Harvey, and J. S. Altenbach. Printed spectrographs provided by M. J. O'Farrell. Distribution maps, call descriptions, and AnaMusic sound clips produced by W. L. Gannon. Accounts assembled by T. C. Sanchez-Brown.