David's myotis
Myotis davidii
alantong · Liushi Road
Key facts in one look
- Size
- Body 4.1–4.4 cm, forearm 31–35 mm
- Diet
- Insectivore
- Status in Georgia
- Native; poorly studied
- Habitat
- Forest, scrub; rock crevices
- Family
- Vespertilionidae
- Conservation
- LC / DD
David's myotis (Myotis davidii) looks so much like the whiskered bat that the two can hardly be told apart by sight. It is slightly larger, and the fur on its back has dark bases and sometimes golden tips. Its records from Georgia were first published in 2023, so we do not know where it lives here or how common it is. Because of the likeness, some records may be wrong, and DNA analysis is needed to confirm them. If a bat flies into your home, do not catch it with bare hands: open a window and give it time to leave.
Identification
David's myotis: how to identify it
A small, dark brown myotis with brown ears and muzzle. The belly is paler than the back, with a sharp line between the two colours. Its main double in Georgia is the whiskered bat, and only specialists can tell them apart.
It is tiny: the forearm is shorter than 36 mm, usually 31–35 mm, the body 4.1–4.4 cm and the ear 12–15 mm. It is slightly larger than the whiskered bat, but their measurements overlap. Size alone is therefore not enough.
The rear edge of the ear has a distinct notch. The inside of the ear and the base of the tragus are light brown, sometimes even pinkish. The nostrils are often heart-shaped.
Adults have no yellowish-brown hair on the sides of the neck, so the colours of the back and belly are sharply divided. It is reliably told from the whiskered bat only by its teeth and by DNA. Do not catch a bat to identify it: that is a job for specialists.
Colour
The hairs on the back are dark brown at the base with paler tips, often with a golden gloss. The belly is paler, with greyish tips. The ears and muzzle are dark brown.
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
David's myotis lives in forest and scrub. By day it is thought to hide in rock cracks and crevices. Its range runs from the Balkans and Ukraine across the Caucasus, Turkey and Iran to Central Asia, Mongolia, China and Korea. Its records from Georgia were first published in 2023, and few exact sites are known yet.
It eats insects, like nearly all myotis bats. What exactly it eats has not been studied. It finds its prey at night by echolocation.
The way of life of David's myotis is almost unstudied. Myotis bats of the temperate zone spend the winter in hibernation, often in caves or deep crevices. Females in this genus usually have one young a year. How far this applies to David's myotis in Georgia nobody has yet studied.
Globally David's myotis is rated Least Concern (LC, 2019), and its population is considered stable. In Georgia the 2021 national assessment rates it Data Deficient (DD), and its population trend is unknown. No threats have been observed so far, though habitat loss and disturbance of underground roosts may harm it. Its taxonomy is still debated, so new research will also shape its status.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes, but little is known about it. Its records from Georgia were first published in 2023. Because it looks so much like the whiskered bat, some records may be wrong. DNA studies are needed for a clear picture.
By sight, almost not at all. David's myotis is slightly larger, has a golden gloss on its back, and the colours of its back and belly are sharply divided. The two are reliably separated by their teeth and by DNA. That is a specialist's job, so do not catch the bat.
It will not attack you, but do not touch it with bare hands. A bat bite can be tiny and easy to miss. Rabies cannot be ruled out by appearance, although most bats people see are not rabid. After a bite or scratch, wash the spot with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor; in an emergency, call 112.
Stay calm and take children and pets out of the room. Close the doors to other rooms, open an outside window or door wide and switch off unnecessary lights. Then step back and give it time: a bat usually finds the way out on its own. Do not try to catch a bat in flight.
Globally it is not threatened: it is rated Least Concern (LC, 2019). In Georgia the 2021 national assessment rates it Data Deficient (DD). This means we do not yet know enough to judge its condition. Do not disturb bats in underground roosts.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
