Habitat: The small-footed bat tends to be found in the Appalachian mountains in the northeast. Where these mountains are not, they can be found in short caves, rocky areas, and cold and dry areas.

Appearance: Their fur is black at the roots and brown at the tips to create a shiny effect. They also have black ears and wings, and flat skulls.

Size: 3.5-6 grams, 3 inches in length, wingspan of up to 10 inches

Breeding: The bats tend to breed one time a year during the fall and produce one offspring.

Behavior: Bats are nocturnal and these ones specifically, hibernate alone during the winter. To be nocturnal means that the bat sleeps during the day and is active at night. They tend to hibernate from November to March. Because of hibernation, they can sometimes lose up to 16% of their body fat. Instead of hibernating vertically, they hibernate horizontally and will sometimes even lie flat on the floor of their cave. Their body temperature can drop very low to be able to survive any weather well below freezing.

Life expectancy: The small-footed bat is predicted to live anywhere from 6-12 years in the wild.

Fun facts: These are the rarest bats in North America. They feed on insects mostly including moths, beetles, and flies. They are also currently endangered. 

Scott, V. (n.d.). Myotis leibii (eastern small-footed myotis). Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Myotis_leibii/.