Fun Fringed Myotis Facts For Kids

Be careful the next time you walk in any abandoned caves, mines, or buildings - this long-eared Myotis would pop out of the rock crevices, swoop past you in a blink and give you a jumpscare!

The fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) is a vesper bat species, whose colonies are found mainly in the western range of the United States, extending from the wildlife of British Columbia down to the forests of Mexico. Wonder why they are called the ‘fringed myotis’?

Well, this bat has fringed hair located on the edge of the tail membrane, clearly visible to the human eye!

The young pups of this myotis are reared in large nursery colonies, and it takes less than a month before they are ready to fly and search for food themselves.

Amazed with this information of the fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes)? For more relatable content, check out these hoary bat facts and red bat facts for kids.

Fringed Myotis Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a fringed myotis?

The Myotis thysanodes (fringed myotis) is a type of bat.

What class of animal does a fringed myotis belong to?

The fringed myotis species comes under the class Mammalia.

How many fringed myotis are there in the world?

Unfortunately, the total number of individuals of this bat species is not available.

Where does a fringed myotis live?

This vesper bat species can be spotted across the regions of the western United States. You can also see them in parts of Texas, Mexico, and British Columbia too.

What is a fringed myotis's habitat?

These bats are known to roost in rock crevices, in dark caves, old buildings, and in mine tunnels too. They migrate to far-off lands during the winter season.

They are also found in habitats having pine trees, douglas-fir, and even oak trees. They can also be seen in woodlands and shrublands. Usually,  the fringed myotis habitat is at altitudes of about 3937-6890 ft (1200-2100 m).

Who does fringed myotis live with?

All bats are known to live in large colonies.

How long does a fringed myotis live?

The fringed myotis is said to live for up to 18 long years.

How do they reproduce?

Not much has been discovered about the fringed myotis reproductive behavior.

The entire mating period takes place in the months of the fall season, with the ovulation, fertilization, and implantation procedures occurring between April to about mid-May. The entire pregnancy is about two months long, and the new pups of these bats are born somewhere in June-July.

Only one pup is born in each litter, and these pups are actually large, compared to other species. In the first few weeks of their new lives, the young pups are kept in special protection, or in ‘maternity roosts’.

Under this arrangement, several mothers would take over the parenting of all the pups, while the other would leave behind the roosts every night to search for food. After just two weeks, the little pups are all set to begin their first flight!

However, these young pups are not exactly precocial. The nursery colonies comprise several hundred mothers and their pups.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Myotis thysanodes (Fringed Myotis) is Least Concern.

Fringed Myotis Fun Facts

What does a fringed myotis look like?

Speaking about the fringed myotis' physical description, this bat is small in size, but among the Myotis, it is the larger species.

Of all the long-eared myotis species, this one has got the shortest ears. Ever wondered why this bat got its name? This is due to the presence of a fringe of short fur/hair located on the body membrane between the hind legs, which are clearly visible.

Surprisingly, the male bats of this species are much smaller than the female ones. They have well-furred pelages, which are in hues of mustard yellow/brown/olive on the backs. Their undersides have a pale white tint.

They have a large skull. Their ears are of a slightly darker color. Populations of this species concentrated in the northern regions have darker skin tones.

*Please note that this is an image of a Greater mouse-eared bat, another bat belonging to the Myotis genus. If you have an image of a fringed myotis, please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.

How cute are they?

We would not call this species cute!

How do they communicate?

We are unfortunately not aware of how this long-eared myotis species communicate. However, bats generally are known to communicate with others in their colonies using high frequency. This communication can be in the form of chirps, songs, or even loud screeches. Their calls made using echolocation have a frequency of about 28-33 kHz.

How big is a fringed myotis?

The fringed myotis can grow up to a body length of 3.35 in (8.5 cm). Their ears pop out, with a length of about 0.63 in (1.6 cm).

The tails extend to about 1.46 in (3.7 cm) length, and their feet are about 0.35 in (0.9 cm) long. They are almost six times the size of an average honey bee.

How fast can a fringed myotis move?

We are unaware of the speeds at which the Myotis thysanodes can move. However, we know that this myotis flies at low speeds due to its wing structure, but these wings are structured in a way that provides them high maneuverability.

How much does a fringed myotis weigh?

This long-eared myotis weighs about 0.31 oz (8.8 g) only.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific titles for the male and female bats of this species.

What would you call a baby fringed myotis?

In general, the young ones of bats are called pups.

What do they eat?

The fringed myotis diet mainly includes insects. Beetles, moths, crickets, flies, harvestmen, lacewings, leafhoppers, as well as other flying insects. Even orthopterans and arachnids are included in the diet. It has been said that the short hair standing up on the tail membrane assists in getting a good grasp of the insects during flight.

This bat species is known to forage in open habitats and over the water surfaces in the late hours of the evening, which is usually two hours after sunset. Their food habits suggest that this myotis species pulls out its meal from its natural habitat.

Are they aggressive?

No, the Myotis thysanodes are not very aggressive.

Would they make a good pet?

We would not suggest keeping this bat as a pet!

Did you know...

The Myotis thysanodes is a nocturnal species. Their usual activities begin within two hours after the sun sets, and would enjoy themselves in the darkness.

During the rainy days, there is low to no activity of this myotis, as rainfall greatly affects echolocation, their flying abilities, and even affects the availability to find food.

The Myotis thysanodes are actually of great help to the farmers, as they help in getting rid of the insects who harm the crop produce.

The Myotis thysanodes spend the months between October to March hibernating. They may travel over short distances to find the best spot for hibernation.

It is said that this bat is often found in association with other species of wildlife.

Possible predators of this species include owls, snakes, and other larger birds.

Fringed myotis wingspan?

For a small body, the Myotis thysanodes have a pretty wide wingspan. This wingspan falls in the range of 10.4-11.8 in (26.4-30 cm).

Is the fringed myotis endemic?

Being endemic basically means being found only in certain regions. This Myotis species is entirely endemic to the western range of the United States of America - you can search for this species in regions extending from British Colombia in the north to the wildlife of Mexico in the south.

Learn more about some other mammals from our ghost bat facts and Rodrigues flying fox facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself by coloring in one of our free printable Fringed myotis coloring pages.