The Arizona myotis (Myotis occultus) or southwestern little brown myotis is a vesper bat species inhabiting much of the southwestern United States and central Mexico as far south as the Distrito Federal.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1909 by American zoologist Ned Hollister. The holotype was collected near Needles, California, in 1905. Its specific name "occultus" is Latin for "hidden or concealed".

Description

It is a small species with a total length of 96 mm— of the total length, 40 mm consists of its tail. Its fur is glossy brown with a cinnamon tint. The ventral fur and its face are paler brown.

Range and habitat

Its range includes parts of the Southwestern United States and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is found in a range of elevations from near sea level to 2806 m above sea level.

Conservation

As of 2018, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification because it has a wide geographic range, its range includes protected areas, and it is not likely experiencing rapid population decline.