Eastern Small-Footed Bat
Myotis leibii

The Eastern small-footed bat is a tiny bat with even tinier feet.

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Eastern small-footed bat clings to a rock wall.
Eastern small-footed bats are mostly found near the entrance of caves or rock outcroppings. (Photo courtesy of Amiel Hopkins/iNaturalist CC BY-NC, cropped and toned)

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Appearance

The Eastern small-footed bat is an extremely small bat with glossy, yellowish-to-golden-brown fur and a black stripe across its face. The bat has black ears, feet and wings. 

Feeding

This bat primarily hunts at night, flying slowly and often erratically near the ground or over open rock areas, forest edges or near water, capturing small insects in flight. It may also pick ants and other insects off rocks and boulders when roosting near the ground. 

Predators

Predators include owls, hawks, snakes, raccoons and rodents. 

Flight

In flight, the Eastern small-footed bat has a characteristic slow, fluttering, erratic pattern, often centimeters to a few meters above the ground or rocks. Its wing shape—broad and rounded—makes it more maneuverable and suited to rocky, cluttered terrain.

Reproduction and life cycle

Mating takes place in late summer or early fall, before hibernation, and females give birth to pups in late May to mid-June. Females form small maternity colonies inside of rock crevices, often choosing sites with high solar exposure to warm their young. Each female typically gives birth to one pup per year. After weaning, juveniles become independent and enter hibernation later in the year. 

Did you know?

  • The scientific name Myotis leibii honors American naturalist John Leib (the “leibii” suffix). 
  • The bat’s extremely small feet (less than about a third of an inch) distinguish it from other similar bats, hence the “small-footed” name.
  • Unlike many bats that hibernate deep inside caves, this species often hibernates at cave or mine entrances or in cold rock fissures where temperatures may drop near freezing. 

Sources and additional information

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