Comments: Found in various habitats from desert to montane coniferous stands, including open ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper woodland, canyon bottoms, open pasture, and hayfields. Speculation has been made that captures outside coniferous forests reflect post-breeding wandering (Snow 1974). In British Columbia, foraged mainly in fields near pines and over marshes (Wai-Ping and Fenton 1989). Locally common in various habitats (pinyon-juniper woodland, riparian corridors, over river) in canyons in northwestern Colorado (Navo et al. 1992). Roosts in caves and in cracks and crevices in cliffs and canyons, with which this species consistently is associated; can crawl with ease on both horizontal and vertical surfaces (Snow 1974, van Zyll de Jong 1985); rests suspended by feet, with head down. In British Columbia, used same roost each night May-July, but not after early August (Wai-Ping and Fenton 1989). Winter habits poorly known.
Handley (1959) found that spotted bats were found primarily on open or scrub country. Of his 22 recorded occurrences, 13 were around houses. He suggested that since most were found in strange situations, departures were made from normal habitat in response to a stimulus of rather frequent occurrence. Handley felt that an explanation for the paucity of collections in natural situations is due to the bat's narrow habitat tolerance (Snow 1974).
In Garfield County, Utah, Easterla captured a spotted bat in an area which was treeless and rolling for several miles around the site and also surrounded by mountainous terrain. The predominant plant species were ARTEMISIA (sagebrush) and CHRYSOTHAMNUS (rabbitbrush). In the mountainous terrain, the predominant plant was PINUS PONDEROSA (yellow pine) (Snow 1974). In Utah, Snow (1974) reported that bats were captured over a waterhole near limestone cliffs with cracks.
In the Big Bend National Park in Texas, the spotted bat was captured near the only water source (a permanent pool) in many square miles. It was found in a shallow, barren, hot, dry canyon with walls of angled, buckled pink and red limestone. The predominant plant species were LARREA DIVARICATA (creosote bush), EUPHORBIA ANTISYPHILITICA (candelilla), HECHTIA SCARIOSA (Hechtia), AGAVE LECHUGILLA (century plant), OPUNTIA RUFIDA (blind pricklypear), and FOUQUIERIA SPLENDENS (ocotillo) (Snow 1974).
Many bats in New Mexico were caught over waterholes near a sandstone cliff with numerous vertical cracks.
In Wyoming, associated with canyons, cliffs, and nearby permanent water (Priday and Luce 1999).