Long-legged Bat
Last Update/Review: June 17, 2002
The long-legged bat (Myotis volans) is common throughout western North America. However, it is morphologically similar to the little brown bat and often misidentified. Long-legged bats can be distinguished by thick hair extending on the underside of the wing to a line from the elbow to the knee and by the presence of a keeled calcar (a small bone extending laterally from the ankle).
Little is known about the habits of long-legged bats in Alberta. In the United States, they roost in buildings, rock crevices, and trees. Many nursery colonies are in trees and may consist of hundreds of individuals. It is not known where the majority of these bats hibernate.
Long-legged bats have been collected repeatedly at Cadomin Cave. They use the cave as a swarming site in August and September and a few individuals also hibernate there. Long-legged bats may be quite tolerant of cold.
