Species MammalsTownsend's Big-eared Bat

Townsend's Big-eared Bat

Corynorhinus townsendii

UncommonMammal
Illustration of Townsend's Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii)
Safety note: May carry rabies — do not approach or handle.

Townsend's Big-eared Bat has enormous, rabbit-like ears that can be curled back like ram's horns during hibernation to minimize water loss. It is a highly maneuverable, slow-flying bat that can hover to glean moths from vegetation. Its dependence on caves and mines for both summer maternity colonies and winter hibernation makes it vulnerable to human disturbance.

Habitat
Caves, old mines, and forests across western North America
Diet
Moths (almost exclusively), captured by aerial hawking
How common
Uncommon

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