Mammals

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) is native to the North American countries of Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. It is a vesper bat (meaning ‘evening’) and part of the Vespertilionidae family. They tend to stay and live near rocky areas, concentrated where old mine tunnels or caves are abundant. Without these areas, the Townsend’s Big-eared Bat has also been known to inhabit old, and/or abandoned buildings. They live for up to 16 years on average, and are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Considered a medium-sized bat, the Townsend’s Big-eared Bat has very flexible, and extremely long ears. They grow to a length of about 4 inches (10 cm) with a 2 inch (5 cm) tail. During flight, their 7 to 12 gram body weight is flown with a wingspan reaching 28 cm. Their bodies are almost uniformly colored, but they are dark brown on their back, with a slightly lighter coloring on their sides. Their undersides are lighter still, but not by much. The Townsend’s Big-eared Bat is usually identified by their nearly uniform coloration. Either side of their snout also sport small lumps.

The male Townsend’s Big-eared Bat lives a very solitary lifestyle, that is, solitary from females. Males and females live in completely separate roosting sites during the summer months. The females stay with their young in maternity colonies that reach numbers up to 200 individuals.

What does the Townsend’s Big-eared Bat eat?

The diet of this bat is completely insectivorous. They eat a wide range of insects, but the most notable are moths, flies, sawflies, and dung beetles.

Does the Townsend’s Big-eared Bat hibernate?

Packed into very tight clusters to keep body temperature at consistent levels, the Townsend’s Big-eared Bat hibernates through the colder months withstanding temperatures ranging from 0°C to 11.5°C. The males tend to move to warmer places for hibernation, with the females sticking to colder temperatures. Townsend’s Big-eared Bats wake up frequently during hibernation, to move around the cave, or find a new one altogether. These bats also get very fat during the hibernation period.

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat Classification

- Kingdom: Animalia

- Phylum: Chordata

- Order: Chiroptera

- Family: Vespertilionidae

- Genus: Corynorhinus

- Species: Corynorhinus townsendii

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat Sub-Species

There are four subspecies of the Townsend’s Big-eared Bat.

1. Corynorhinus townsendii ingens

2. Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii – Ozark Big-eared Bat

3. Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus – Virginia big-eared Bat

4. Corynorhinus plecotus townsendii – Members of this genus were originally classified in the genus Plecotus.