There are two subspecies of this bat that are found primarily in Texas. There is not much research on whether the two subspecies cohabitate, though (Hill, 1984).
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
No special status at the present. They are fairly well distributed (Schmidly, 1991).
Temperate North American bats are now threatened by a fungal disease called “white-nose syndrome.” This disease has devastated eastern North American bat populations at hibernation sites since 2007. The fungus, Geomyces destructans, grows best in cold, humid conditions that are typical of many bat hibernacula. The fungus grows on, and in some cases invades, the bodies of hibernating bats and seems to result in disturbance from hibernation, causing a debilitating loss of important metabolic resources and mass deaths. Mortality rates at some hibernation sites have been as high as 90%. While there are currently no reports of Myotis velifer mortalities as a result of white-nose syndrome, the disease continues to expand its range in North America.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
As with most bat species, these bats run the risk of carrying diseases such as rabies. Though there are very few reported cases of rabies in these bats, it usually is best to take precautions against this disease (Fenton, 1992).
These bats are invaluable to us in that they help to control the population of flying insects, which frequently harm crop outputs in all parts of the world (Fenton, 1992).
These bats are insectivorous, mainly feeding on moths. However, they will feed on anything that is available when they emerge from their roosts, including beetles, weevils, and other such insects. As a result of their large size, these bats may be able to forage further away from their roosts than other Myotis bats, thus allowing them to exploit new areas (Kunz, 1974).
The cave myotis is found in the south eastern tip of California, throughout the southern 2/3 of Arizona, New Mexico, and throughout all but the eastern 1/4 of Texas. The species is also found in the western half of Oklahoma and reaches barely into Kansas (Whitaker, Jr. 1980)
Within Texas there is seasonal distribution seen in this species of bat: during the summer months, these bats are found in the High Plains, Rolling Plains, Trans-Pecos, Edwards Plateau, and South Texas Plains; during the winter, the species is found in the central and north central portions of the state (Schmidly, 1991).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
These are cave dwelling bats, usually roosting in large numbers. Furthermore, they will also take the opportunity to roost in a number of other areas, including crevices in rocks/walls, in old buildings, and also under bridges (Twente, 1955).
Terrestrial Biomes: chaparral
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 11.3 years.
These bats are relatively large. The individuals in populations from the eastern part of the range have sepia colored fur with paler undersides, while individuals from western populations are almost black. Males are usually slightly smaller than females (Whitaker, Jr. 1980, Hill and Smith 1984).
Range mass: 7 to 14 g.
Average mass: 8 g.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.04 W.
Females usually give birth to one young each year, usually around mid-April and May. The nursery colony will break up when the adult females abandon their young at the time of weaning. They will return to the males or live in isolation until the next breeding (Hill and Smith 1984).
The pups are kept in nursery colonies with other newborns, where they are nursed and protected by adult females of the colony. These nurseries can become quite large. The young will fly when they are five weeks old (Kunz, 1995).
Range number of offspring: 1 to 1.
Range gestation period: 60 to 70 days.
Average weaning age: 43 days.
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous ; sperm-storing
Average birth mass: 3.2 g.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 365 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 365 days.
The cave myotis (Myotis velifer) is a species of vesper bat (Vespertilionidae) in the genus Myotis.
It is larger than most other bats in the Myotis group, with a forearm of 37 to 44 millimetres (1.5 to 1.7 in). The bat is brown with short ears, and can be distinguished from other large Myotis by a bare patch of skin on its back. Male bats are smaller than females.
It is usually found in caves, although it has been known to inhabit mines and buildings. The largest populations are in southwest Kansas and in Mexico. Groups of over a thousand have been recorded on the ceilings of caves during winter hibernation.[2]
The cave myotis is insectivorous, primarily feeding on moths. To capture prey it uses echolocation, typically hunting one or two hours after sunset. Due to their larger size and well-adapted wings, the cave myotis may forage further from their roost than other "myotis" bats. When insect populations are low in spring and autumn, they decrease their food consumption. Since caves tend to have consistently cooler temperatures which impose energetic strain from maintaining thermoregulation, it is believed that they likely exhibit a combination of behaviors in response, such as consuming greater quantities of food and clustering in order to minimize heat loss.[3] Adult females consume more food than males due to their size. Females also consume more food during lactation and gestation periods. Juveniles are efficient at foraging; they join their adult counterparts aged as young as four weeks. By six to eight weeks, their daily consumption of insects matches that of an adult. Colonies hibernate from mid October until April. Individuals have lifespan of around thirteen years.[4]
Most bat species have a good homing ability, the mechanisms of which are still unknown. Unusually for bats, the cave myotis does not have a good homing instinct. Speculation is that bat species' homing ability relies heavily on olfactory sense and vision.[5]
The cave myotis (Myotis velifer) is a species of vesper bat (Vespertilionidae) in the genus Myotis.
