Foraging Ecology of Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans) In North-central Idaho

Limited information exists on the foraging ecology of the long-legged myotis (Myotis volans), especially with regard to use of available foraging habitats in large, relatively contiguous forested landscapes. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, we radiotagged adult long-legged myotis (n = 70) in north-central Idaho to estimate the size of home ranges and to evaluate use of available foraging habitats. Size of home range and core areas was measured for individuals with ≥31 locations (n = 30) using the adaptive kernel method, and selection among available foraging habitats was evaluated using Euclidean distance analysis. Home-range estimates did not differ among males, pregnant females, and lactating females (P = 0.52). Core-area estimates also did not differ among males, pregnant females, and lactating females (P = 0.62). Second-order habitat analysis, based on vegetation, showed that home ranges of males (P = 0.01), pregnant females (P = 0.001), and lactating females (P = 0.001) all were closest ...