The gray bat's decline is directly attributed to human disturbance, pesticides and loss of habitat due to flooding by man-made impoundments. Their habit of congregating in only a few caves make them especially vulnerable to these factors.
In summer, gray bats are known to occur in northeastern Oklahoma's Adair, Cherokee, Delaware and Ottawa counties. They may inhabit caves in other counties, but there have been no recent observations. In winter, most migrate to hibernation caves in Arkansas and other states where more than 95 percent of the population gather in only eight caves.
Listed by the USA Federal and State agencies as "Endangered". The IUCN considers Myotis grisescens as "Endangered".