 They are very similar in appearance to the closely related California myotis, with which they share some of their range; the two species can be distinguished in that the latter does not have the black "face mask" of the small-footed species.Western small-footed bats are found across much of the western half of North America, from southern British Columbia and Saskatchewan in the north down to Baja California, Zacatecas, and Nuevo León in the south.Within this region, they are most common arid and semiarid habitats, such as deserts and badlands, but may be found in pine or juniper forests, especially at higher elevations.