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Myotis auriculus

Baker and Stains, 1955

Southwestern Myotis

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100717
Element CodeAMACC01080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderChiroptera
FamilyVespertilionidae
GenusMyotis
Other Common Names
Un Murciélago (ES)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly this species was regarded by various authors as conspecific with M. evotis or M. keenii (see Genoways and Jones 1969).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2015-03-31
Change Date2015-03-31
Edition Date2015-03-31
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Large range in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico; winter range poorly known; uses many habitats; cavities in large Gambel oaks are important roost sites in some areas; trend uncertain but probably relatively stable; no major threats are known, but multiple minor threats together could be regionally significant (better information is needed).
Range Extent Comments
Range extends from the southwestern United States (Arizona and New Mexico) southward to Jalisco and Veracruz, Mexico, and Guatemala (Genoways and Jones 1969, Warner and Czaplewski 1981, Warner 1982; Hoffmann et al. 1987, Reid 1997; Simmons, in Wilson and Reeder 2005. Range in Mexico includes the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Nuevo León, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Zacatecas (Uribe and Arita 2005, Aguilar-López et al. 2012). A collection site in Coahuila, Mexico (Easterla and Baccus 1973), is less than 50 kilometers from the Chisos Mountains, Texas, suggesting that the species could eventually be found in Texas (Ammerman et al. 2012). The winter range is poorly known, but the species has been found in the Chiricahua Mountains and Huachuca Mountains (Arizona Game and Fish Department). Elevational range is at least 336-2,226 meters (Warner 1982).
Occurrences Comments
The number of distinct occurrences has not been determined using standardized/meaningful criteria, but this species is represented by a large number of collection/observation sites and locations (as defined by IUCN).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known, but locally these bats may be negatively affected by recreational caving, closure of abandoned mines, and certain forest-management practices (Bogan et al., Western Bat Working Group species account, 2005). However, the degree to which these bats depend on caves or abandoned mines is poorly known. In northern Arizona, illegal fuelwood cutting of Gambel oak (Bernardos et al. 2004) may reduce roost site availability. This species is not known to incur significant mortality from turbines at wind energy facilities (Arnett and Baerwald 2013).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats range from desert scrub, desert grasslands, mesquite, and chaparral to pinyon-juniper woodland and pine-fir forest, including areas wooded with oak or cottonwood/box-elder/sycamore; primarily ponderosa pine/Gambel oak and riparian cottonwood/sycamore habitats in Arizona and New Mexico (Barbour and Davis 1969, Findley et al. 1975, Warner 1982, Cook 1986, Hoffmeister 1986, Morrell et al. 1999); may reach highest abundance in areas of extensive rocky cliffs where water is available (Barbour and Davis 1969); also tropical deciduous forests in eastern Mexico. Night roosts include caves, mines, and buildings (Barbour and Davis 1969, Hoffmeister 1986). Day roosts include cavities in trees such as Gambel oak (Rabe et al. 1998) and ponderosa pine (Bernardos et al. 2004). Cook (1986) stated that rock outcroppings and cliffs are important roost sites in the Animas Mountains in New Mexico, but this seems to have been a presumption since he did not report or cite any specific instances of this. In ponderosa pine - Gambel oak habitat in northern Arizona, Bernardos et al. (2004) found 34 maternity roosts in Gambel oak trees (14 females) and 5 roosts in ponderosa pine snags (1 female); roosts most often were in cavities (about 1.7-12.5 meters above ground) in large live Gambel oaks with decay present (roosts also included snags and spaces behind exfoliating bark); females often switched roosts. In the Chiricahua Mountains (Arizona), maternity roosts of up to 30 individuals were in small tree hollows, predominantly in sycamore; other roosting cavities were in Arizona white oak and ponderosa pine; most roosts were in riparian habitat adjacent to water (Bat Conservation International species profile; http://batcon.org/). Hibernating individuals have not been found.

Ecology

In Arizona and New Mexico, this species seems to be parapatrically distributed with M. evotis within a narrow zone of overlap (Warner 1982).

Reproduction

Females produce a litter of 1 young, born usually in June or early July.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedDesertCliffAerial
Palustrine Habitats
RiparianAerial
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS3Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentNegligible (<1%)—High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge (31-70%)Negligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranching———
3 - Energy production & miningNegligible (<1%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarrying———
4 - Transportation & service corridorsNegligible (<1%)—High (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useSmall (1-10%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting———
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceNegligible (<1%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activities———
7 - Natural system modificationsSmall (1-10%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppression———
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases—Negligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
10 - Geological eventsNegligible (<1%)——
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownHigh (continuing)

—

Roadless Areas (3)
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Brushy MountainGila National Forest7,199
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Frisco BoxGila National Forest38,979
References (44)
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