O’SHEA, CRYAN & BOGAN: UNITED STATES BAT SPECIES OF CONCERN 
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Fisheries (2015): Tier II Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Maryland Department of Natural 
Resources (2005, 2016): Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Mississippi Department of 
Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (2005, 2015): Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Missouri 
Department of Conservation (2016): Species of Conservation Concern, Critically Imperiled. North 
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (2014): Special Concern Species. Oklahoma Department 
of Wildlife Conservation (2005, 2016): Species of Greatest Conservation Need Tier I, II. South 
Carolina Department of Natural Resources (2005,2015): Highest Priority Species of Greatest Con¬ 
servation Need. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (2005, 2015): Tier I Species of Greatest 
Conservation Need. Texas Parks and Wildlife (2012): Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Vir¬ 
ginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (2005, 2015b): Tier IV Species of Greatest Con¬ 
servation Need. 
Description.— The pelage 
of the southeastern myotis (Fig. 
21) has been described as some¬ 
what wooly, with little or no con¬ 
trast in color from the base to the 
tips of the hairs; coloration is 
variable, ranging from gray to 
orange or russet above and tan to 
white ventrally, with females 
generally more brightly colored 
than males (Jones and Manning, 
1989; Humphrey and Gore, 
1992). Forearm lengths of adults 
ranged 36 to 42 mi llimeters in a 
sample of 29 females and 11 
males from Florida, with adult body masses in April-May ranging 5.4 to 10.4 grams in 28 females 
(large embryo weights subtracted) and 5.4 to 6.6 grams in 11 males (Sherman, 1930). Individuals 
from Indiana ranged 4.1 to 9.2 grams in a sample of 27 males and 5.1 to 9.1 grams in 16 females 
(Mumford and Whitaker, 1982). The southeastern myotis lacks a keel on the calcar. 
Distribution and Systematics.— The geographic range (Fig. 22) extends from the north¬ 
ern half of peninsular Florida to southeastern Virginia and Maryland on the Atlantic Coast, west¬ 
ward from the Atlantic Coast through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Missis¬ 
sippi and Louisiana to eastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma, and from southern Arkansas 
through the Mississippi River and Ohio River valley areas of southeastern Missouri, western Ten¬ 
nessee, and Kentucky northward to southernmost Illinois and southern Indiana (LaVal, 1967; Jones 
and Manning, 1989; Amelon et al., 2006; Lacki and Bayless, 2013). There are no subspecies of 
Myotis austroriparius, and previously applied subspecific designations are no longer recognized 
(LaVal, 1970). Jones and Manning (1989) provided a taxonomic synonymy of past scientific names 
applied to the southeastern myotis. The generic name originates with Greek words meaning 
“mouse” and “ear”. The specific epithet is from Latin words meaning “southern” and “of a river 
bank”. Other English common names for this species include southeastern bat, southeastern brown 
bat, Mississippi myotis, and Mississippi bat. 
Habitats and Relative Abundance.— Southeastern myotis are often found near water 
(Rice, 1957), and can be most abundant in bottomland hardwood forests, but also can be found in 
upland habitats (LaVal, 1970). Bat community surveys in southeastern pine forests typically yield 
low relative abundances of southeastern myotis. They compose generally nine percent or fewer of 
Figure 21. Southeastern myotis, Myotis austroriparius (photo by J. Scott 
Altenbach). 
