**Taxonomy and Anatomy**:
– Little brown bats belong to the Myotis genus within the Vespertilionidae family.
– Various species of Myotis, including M. californicus, M. leibii, and M. volans, are part of the Nearctic and Old World groups.
– They have unique external characteristics, like glossy fur, and specialized senses for low-light conditions.
– The species was first described by John Eatton Le Conte in 1831.
– They exhibit diphyodont dentition with milk teeth and adult teeth.
**Behavior and Ecology**:
– Little brown bats are nocturnal and forage for insects at night, roosting in hollow trees or buildings during the day.
– They have a polygynandrous mating system and give birth to one offspring annually.
– Despite few natural predators, they face threats from diseases like rabies and white-nose syndrome.
– The species is considered endangered due to habitat loss and white-nose syndrome, with efforts to attract them using bat houses.
**Conservation Status and Habitat**:
– Little brown bats are endangered, with significant population declines due to white-nose syndrome.
– They historically inhabited regions from Alaska to Labrador in the north and Southern California in the south.
– Roosting and hibernation habitats include caves, tree hollows, and warm, dark spaces.
– Conservation efforts aim to mitigate threats and predict local extinctions by 2026.
**Interaction with Humans and Impact on Inhabitants**:
– Little brown bats can be considered pests due to roosting in buildings and concerns about rabies.
– They are attracted to properties using bat houses for insect control.
– Human encounters with bats can lead to concerns about guano, urine, and ectoparasites.
– Bats are vulnerable near roads, with efforts to mitigate risks during crossings.
**Research Studies and Findings**:
– Studies focus on various aspects of little brown bats, such as age estimation, diet, parasites, and diseases.
– Research includes investigations into echolocation, predation, and genetic analysis of populations.
– Findings highlight the impact of white-nose syndrome on hibernating bats and the recovery of survivors.
– Publications like the bat house builders’ handbook contribute to understanding and conserving little brown bat populations.
The little brown bat or little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It has a small body size and glossy brown fur. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-eared bats, including the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and Arizona myotis, to which it is closely related. Despite its name, the little brown bat is not closely related to the big brown bat, which belongs to a different genus.
| Little brown bat | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Myotis |
| Species: | M. lucifugus
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| Binomial name | |
| Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte, 1831)
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| Subspecies | |
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| Distribution of all little brown bat subspecies: M. l. lucifugus (red), M. l. pernox (green), M. l. alascensis (blue), M. l. carissima (yellow), M. l. relictus (gray) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Its mating system is polygynandrous, or promiscuous, and females give birth to one offspring annually. The offspring, called pups, are quickly weaned and reach adult size in some dimensions by three weeks old. The little brown bat has a mean lifespan of 6.5 years, though one individual in the wild reached 34 years old. It is nocturnal, foraging for its insect prey at night and roosting in hollow trees or buildings during the day, among less common roost types. It navigates and locates prey with echolocation.
It has few natural predators, but may be killed by raptors such as owls, as well as terrestrial predators such as raccoons. Other sources of mortality include diseases such as rabies and white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome has been a significant cause of mortality since 2006, killing over one million little brown bats by 2011. In the Northeastern United States, population loss has been extreme, with surveyed hibernacula (caves used for hibernation) averaging a population loss of 90%.
Humans frequently encounter the little brown bat due to its habit of roosting in buildings. Colonies in buildings are often considered pests because of the production of waste or the concern of rabies transmission. Little brown bats rarely test positive for rabies, however. Some people attempt to attract little brown bats to their property, but not their houses, by installing bat houses.