- Scientific Name
- Myotis brandtii
- Family
- Vespertilionidae
- Global Conservation Status (IUCN)
- Least Concern
- Region
- Northern and Eastern Europe
- Diet
- Insectivore
Data Sheet
Diet: Insectivore
Brandt’s Myotis feed primarily on small moths, as well as flies, spiders, and wasps and other insects.
Fun Fact: Brandt’s Myotis was documented as the world record holder for bat longevity in 2005 when a male bat first captured and banded in 1962 was recaptured in 2005, making it at least 41 years old! However, genetic analysis in 2012 showed that the full population should be divided into two species. The western population kept the name Brandt’s Myotis, and the eastern population, in Asia, took the name Myotis sibiricus, the Siberian Bat. The individual from the longevity data lived in Siberia, within the range occupied by M. sibiricus. So, the record is now attributed to the Siberian Bat instead of Brandt’s Myotis.
Appearance: Brandt’s Myotis are small, brown bats with average forearms lengths of 35.3 (males) or 36.0 (females) mm. They are considered a cryptic species of Whiskered Bat, since it is nearly impossible to distinguish them from related bats on appearance alone.
Habitat: Brandt’s Myotis prefer forest habitat, including coniferous forests and mountain woodlands. They frequently roost in tree crevices or buildings and will also inhabit bat boxes. They hibernate during the winter, in caves, tunnels, or abandoned mines.
Conservation Concerns: Brandt’s Myotis is not currently classified as having a threatened status. Conservation concerns are primarily related to habitat loss limiting available roosts, and disturbance during hibernation. This species may also be sensitive to light pollution.
Bat Conservation International Projects including the Brandt’s Myotis:
As this species is known to migrate in some contexts, it benefits from BCI’s work with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species’ Energy Task Force’s Bat Mitigation Working Group, which has released two Fact Sheets about migratory bats and conservation.
Additional Resources:
Literature Cited:
Gazaryan, S., Kruskop, S.V. & Godlevska, L. 2020. Myotis brandtii (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T85566997A195857637. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T85566997A195857637.en.
Kruskop, S.V., Borisenko, A.V., Ivanova, N.V., Lim, B.D., and Eger J.L. 2012. Genetic Diversity of Northeastern Palaearctic Bats as Revealed by DNA Barcodes, Acta Chiropterologica 14(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3161/150811012X654222
Lucan, R. K., Benda, P., Reiter, A., and Zima, J. 2011. Reliability of field determination in three cryptic whiskered bats (Myotis alcathoe, M. mystacinus, M. brandtii) and basic biometric characters: evidence from the Czech Republic. Vespertilio, 15, 55-62.
Podlutsky, A.J., Khritankov, A.M., Ovodov, N.D., and Austad, S.N. 2005. A New Field Record for Bat Longevity, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 60(11), p. 1366–1368, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/60.11.1366
Vesterinen, E. J., Puisto, A. I., Blomberg, A. S., & Lilley, T. M. 2018. Table for five, please: Dietary partitioning in boreal bats. Ecology and evolution, 8(22), 10914-10937.
Voigt, C.C, C. Azam, J. Dekker, J. Ferguson, M. Fritze, S. Gazaryan, F. Hölker, G. Jones, N. Leader, D. Lewanzik, H.J.G.A. Limpens, F. Mathews, J. Rydell, H. Schofield, K. Spoelstra, and M. Zagmajster. 2018. Guidelines for consideration of bats in lighting projects. EUROBATS Publication Series No. 8. UNEP/EUROBATS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany, 62 pp.
