• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • DONATE
  • SHOP
The Land Between

The Land Between

Explore - Learn - Inspire

  • About
        • Our Story
          • Our Goals
          • How We Operate
          • Staff and Council
          • Our Impact
          • Join Our Team
          • Partners and Supporters
        • About The Land Between Bioregion
          • Sacred Ecology
          • Natural Habitats
          • Wildlife & Species At Risk
          • People and Place
  • Projects
    • Blue Lakes
    • Working Watersheds
    • Turtle Guardians
    • Bird Buddies
    • Agwaamtoon Mshkiikii – Protecting Medicines
    • Native Gardens
    • Special Projects
  • Learning Centre
    • Consultation, Engagement, and Honouring Our Shared History
    • Living in the The Land Between
    • Invasive Species: Phragmites
    • Knowledge Circles
    • Community “Talks”
    • Regional Research
  • Get Involved
    • Wildlife Diary- Report a Species
    • Discover/Volunteer
    • Shop The Store
    • Donate
    • Work With Us
  • News & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Camps
    • TLB Blogs
    • The Skink Newsletter

Northern Myotis

(Myotis septentrionalis)

Status: Endangered (COSEWIC & ESA 2013)

Table of Contents:

  • Species Identification
  • Diet
  • Habitat and Range
  • Biology and Behaviour
  • Similar Species
  • Threats/Reasons for Being Endangered
  • Conservation and Recovery Strategies
  • How You Can Help
Northern Myotis SAR series
Photo by Dave Thomas: https://flic.kr/p/grW9fV
Photo by Dave Thomas: https://flic.kr/p/grW9fV

Species Identification:

The Northern Myotis is a small bat, 8 cm in length and weighing 5-8 grams- which is about the weight of a toonie. They have a  25 cm wingspan, with dull yellow-brown fur, a  grey underside, and black ears, wings and tail. They are also known as Northern Long-eared Bats, since they have long, rounded ears. They can be identified by  a small  piece of skin that covers part of the inside of their ear. However, like most bat species they are very difficult to identify unless inspected closely.

Diet:

Like all bat species, the Northern Myotis feeds at night using echolocation. They will feed on spiders and insects, including mosquitoes, moths, beetles, wasps, and flies. They will either catch prey in the air, or collect it off of the ground or leaves. Their preferred feeding habitat occurs along the edge and within forests.

Back to top of page

Photo by Brian Wulker: https://flic.kr/p/fVqmSP
Photo by Brian Wulker: https://flic.kr/p/fVqmSP
Map taken from Government of Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/page/little-brown-myotis-northern-myotis-and-tri-colored-bat-recovery-strategy#section-7
Map taken from Government of Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/page/little-brown-myotis-northern-myotis-and-tri-colored-bat-recovery-strategy#section-7

Habitat and Range:

About 40% of the global range of the Northern Myotis occurs in Canada. They are found in all provinces and territories except Nunavut, and down through the eastern half of the Northern United States. The Northern Myotis can be found throughout Ontario in forested areas. They can be found throughout The Land Between, but sightings are generally rare since they are hard to identify and populations are low. 

Northern Myotis bats prefer to overwinter in caves, mines, or deep rock crevices. These sites need to have very specific requirements in order for bats to survive cold winters, so ideal hibernation sites are often hard to find. Summer sites are often in old buildings like barns, houses, old trees, or small caves if they are available. Northern Myotis bats prefer to forage over water, forest edges, or any open areas that occur within forests. They generally avoid large open spaces for protection, but need gaps in the forest canopy in order to maneuver and hunt. Their overwintering sites can be hundreds of kilometers from their summer breeding and foraging sites.

Back to top of page

Biology and Behaviour:

Northern Myotis bats emerge from winter hibernation in the early spring and make their way to their summer habitat. They feed at night and rest (roost) during the day. They are most often found roosting individually or in small groups under bark, and in cavities of trees in early to mid stages of decay. They are also known to roost in human-made structures in fragmented habitat areas Females give birth in the spring and early summer, generally to one baby (pup) at a time. Pups are able to fly and forage for themselves after one month. Northern Myotis bats tend to congregate in large numbers, in the late summer or early fall at the entrance to their overwintering site. Bats may swarm to mate, socialize, or to assess the suitability of a potential overwintering location. They generally hibernate from late fall to early spring in caves or abandoned mines and wells where conditions are humid (greater than 80%) and where the temperature remains above freezing (2-10 Celsius). Where their habitat ranges overlap, the Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis, and Tri-coloured Bat can be found hibernating in the same structures. Predators of the Northern Myotis include owls, hawks, some snakes, raccoons, and cats.

Photo by Dave Thomas: https://flic.kr/p/RnoH3a
Photo by Dave Thomas: https://flic.kr/p/RnoH3a

Similar Species:

The Northern Myotis is similar in appearance and colouration to Little Brown Myotis, but the Northern Myotis bat’s outer ear structure is long, thin, and pointed at the tip, whereas the Little Brown Myotis has rounded tipped ear flaps.

Back to top of page

Threats/ Reasons for being at Risk:

1. White Nose Syndrome (WNS): White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a deadly disease caused by infection by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Currently this is the greatest threat to the recovery of the Northern Myotis, as well as many other bat species. The fungus infects and grows on their skin while they hibernate, causing severe damage to tissues. This results in the development of white-grey patches of fungus on their noses, wings and ears. Infection further results in an elevated metabolic rate, which causes the bats to be awakened from their state of hibernation. This results in the depletion of their energy stores required to survive the winter. Energy loss combined with the physical effects of infection eventually result in mortality. The fungus is spread through bat-to-bat contact, through bat contact with contaminated hibernation sites, and through human and predator movement from contaminated caves to non-contaminated caves. Approximately 30% of the Canadian range of the Northern Myotis has been impacted by WNS, and populations at known overwintering sites have declined by about 94%. WNS is predicted to be spreading at a rate of 200 - 250 km per year. If this rate continues, it is predicted that all hibernation sites in Canada will be affected by 2025 - 2028.

2. Habitat loss: Like most Species at Risk, habitat loss is a major threat, especially hibernation site loss. Natural hibernating and roosting sites have been in decline for centuries, and bats have resorted to using human-made buildings and structures, which leads to eradication and even mortality when people discover them on their property. Forested foraging areas are also in decline, as much of these habitats have been converted for agriculture, urban development, and road construction. Bats may find roads as ideal foraging areas, making them more at risk of being hit by a car. 

3. Wind turbines: Death results from collisions with turbine blades, or from injuries (barotrauma) resulting from the sudden drop in air pressure behind the turbines as a result of their spinning. An estimated 16 bats are killed per turbine per year in Canada. Since there are currently approximately 2577 wind turbines operating in Ontario (as of 2018), an average of 41,232 bats are killed by turbines each year in Ontario alone.

4. Pollution: The spraying of pesticides- specifically neonicotinoid insecticides, in agricultural and forested areas has the potential to severely impact populations of the Northern Myotis by killing the insects on which the bats feed. Decreased availability of food can lead to reduced fat stores for the winter, impacting the ability of the bats to overwinter effectively, and decreasing their overall body condition, resulting in lower reproductive success and survival rates. Combined with WNS, this can be deadly for populations. The Northern Myotis is further impacted by pesticide pollution through poisoning, as the bats may consume insects contaminated by the toxins. These effects can further reduce the overall fitness, and therefore their reproductive and survival success.

Northern Myotis Conservation

Conservation and recovery strategies:

White Nose Syndrome (WNS): Research into the causes, as well as potential treatments and mitigation measures for WNS is underway in Ontario and across North America. A White-nose Syndrome Response Plan has been developed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry that outlines the government’s plan to detect, research and mitigate the disease.

Wind Turbines: Some wind farms have been making adjustments to their turbines that minimize their impact to bats at times when the risk to bats is particularly high, such as at night during peak migration. These changes include periodic shutdowns of the turbines, increasing the minimum wind speed required to make the turbine blades turn, and arranging the blades to be more parallel with airflow, minimizing the change in air pressure behind the turbines. These measures have been found to significantly reduce bat mortality (60 to 70%), with only marginal losses (1%) of power.

General: Several North America-wide  bat monitoring programs and organizations have been created. These organizations are gathering data and information on remaining bat populations so that effective conservation decisions can be made.

Back to top of page

How can you help?

  1. Avoid entering caves and mines where bats may be present, or where White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is known to occur. Travelling from cave to cave without properly decontaminating footwear and other gear can aid in the spread of the fungus.
  2. Keep your domestic cats indoors. Cats have been known to be a significant cause of bat mortality, particularly to young pups before they learn how to fly. 
  3. Consider attracting bats to your backyard by leaving dead trees that can be used as roosts standing on your property, and by putting up bat boxes. Mount them on the side of a structure or on a pole or tree at least 10 inches above the tallest vegetation, as close to open water as possible, and in a location that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.

Additional Resources:

  • Government of Ontario’s Northern Myotis page
  • Recovery Strategy for Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), and Tri-colored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus) in Canada

Sources:

Government of Ontario. 2021. Little Brown Myotis, Northern Myotis and Tri-colored Bat recovery strategy. Retrieved from: https://www.ontario.ca/page/little-brown-myotis-northern-myotis-and-tri-colored-bat-recovery-strategy#section-7

Government of Ontario. 2021. Northern Myotis. Retrieved from: https://www.ontario.ca/page/northern-myotis

COSEWIC. 2013. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Little Brown Myotis Myotis lucifugus, Northern Myotis Myotis septentrionalis and Tri-colored Bat Perimyotis subflavus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xxiv + 93 pp. (www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm).

Back to top of page

Northern Myotis Resources

Interested in learning more about Wildlife? Check out our blogs!

Ribbon snake

The Ssseriously Strange Anatomy of Snakes

September 29, 2024

The ‘Ssseriously’ Strange Anatomy of Snakes By: Michaela S. Bouffard Let’s imagine you are a snake. What are you feeling as you slither through the long grass that surrounds you? …

Read More
unnamed-3

The Importance of Beavers

July 10, 2024

The Importance of Beavers By: Kate Dickson Canada’s beaver: An iconic species beloved enough to make it onto our coinage on one hand, but labeled as a “nuisance” and a …

Read More
1 Screenshot 2024-05-01 at 9.40.41 AM

The Birds Return! A closer look at the common Red-winged Blackbirds

May 1, 2024

The days are long, the ice is melting, and our feathery friends are starting to return from their wintering grounds. One of the earliest arrivals is the Red-winged Blackbird, who …

Read More
ashlee-marie-jDYs03ZFbqo-unsplash copy

Do Ontario Freshwater Turtles Show Site Fidelity to Overwintering Sites?

March 25, 2024

By Andrea O’Halloran Turtles will soon be coming out of hibernation, which may prompt you to wonder where they spend all that time! It turns out, turtles return to the …

Read More
Screenshot 2023-09-14 at 12.24.04 PM

An Unlikely Friendship: The Relationship Between Wolves and Ravens

September 14, 2023

By: Michael Allen Bryden The interaction between individuals of different species has been recorded throughout natural history. Mutualism, more specifically, occurs when two such species’ interaction results in positive and …

Read More
Screenshot 2023-07-27 at 10.28.20 AM

Busy Beavers, Our Eager Ecosystem Engineers

July 27, 2023

By Angela Vander Eyken Beavers are easily one of the most fascinating and unique creatures in our landscape: they have impressive paddle-like tails, lush shiny fur, self-sharpening teeth, and even …

Read More
tim-wilson-IYMSWnpPaFU-unsplash

The Humble Muskrat: Is He Disappearing?

March 1, 2023

Muskrats are often an overlooked species in the Land Between region and are frequently seen as pests. However, muskrats are actually beneficial and have great cultural, ecological, and economic importance.  …

Read More
skunk

The Perks of a Pepe-le-pew

February 28, 2023

Written by Jaclyn Adams Picture this: it’s dark outside and you hear rustling in the bushes a few feet away. Curious, you wander closer and slowly lean towards the rustling, …

Read More
Image obtained from https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/11540852, (CC BY-NC)

Introduction to Ontario’s Bats

February 28, 2023

By: Michael Allen Bryden As the sun sets and dusk rolls in, you see a small black figure fly overhead in the sky, but that’s not a bird. You notice …

Read More
Marten

Marten, Mink, and Fisher: The Look-a-like Mesopredators in our Backyards!

February 28, 2023

By : Daniela Castellanos What is a mesopredator? The food web is an intricate and interconnected network of relationships between consumers and producers. We often hear about animals that are …

Read More

 

  • Home
  • The Region
  • The Charity
  • Shop
  • Donate

 

 

The Land Between is a National Charity #805849916RR0001.

Your support helps us celebrate, conserve, and enhance this important region. You can reach us at:

P.O. Box 1368, Haliburton, ON K0M 1S0
705-457-1222 | info@thelandbetween.ca

We respectfully acknowledge that The Land Between is located within Williams Treaty 20 Mississauga Anishinaabeg territory and Treaty 61 Robinson-Huron treaty territory, in the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. We respectfully acknowledge that these First Nations are the stewards and caretakers of these lands and waters in perpetuity and that they continue to maintain this responsibility to ensure their health and integrity for generations to come.

Copyright © 2022 The Land Between