Chantel

= Small-Footed Bat = Scientific Name- Myotis Leibii Common Name- Eastern Small-Footed Bat
 * [[image:small_footed.jpg width="431" height="650" align="center"]]
 * Habitat- Like most bats it lives in caves, hollow trees, under bridges and even in buildings.
 * Biotic Factors- Other bats, Insects, trees.
 * Abiotic Factors- Old buildings, equipment left from mine shafts.
 * Link
 * Niche-
 * Size-This bat is different from other brown bats because of its small size. Small footed bats only grow to be about 3 and a half inches long, including an 1 and a half inch long tail.
 * Diet- Eats insects
 * Housing requirements- Caves or other ares suitable for hanging for sleep.
 * Climate Requirements- Unlike most bats the small footed bat can sleep closer to the opening of a cave during hibernation, and these areas can reach below freezing.
 * Predator/Prey- Hunts for insects
 * Food Chain- Carnivore ( Insectivore)
 * Reproduction- Little is known about the reproduction of these bats since they can really only be studied during hibernation. But like most bats they give birth to only one at a time and usually keep the young in a group.
 * Activity- Nocturnal and hibernates from late fall into the spring.
 * Like most bats the small footed bat roosts in groups, but the groups are much smaller than other bats, usually only 20 to 35 in a group. These bats prefer to hunt alone at night.
 * Link
 * Why Threatened?- These are now one of the rarest bats in North America. And now Listed as Endangered in NH.
 * The habitats of these bats are being destroyed, not only the hollowed out trees they use, but also the mine shafts. When a mine shaft is closed or re-opened this can disturb the bats, even enough to cause a mother to drop her young.
 * Another reason is the food source is declining. Because of the use of pesticides against insects the bats have less prey, and also the pesticides can make the bats sick.
 * [|Link].
 * Also a new disease now called White Nose Syndrome (WNS ) is killing off bats during hibernation
 * [|Link]


 * Current Population Size- Unknown.
 * Decreasing rapidly
 * Conservation Efforts- The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has listed this bat as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
 * [|Link]
 * Affect- These bats eat mosquitoes and other bugs, which keeps the insect population in check, without these little bats the insect population would increase.