© Merlin D. Tuttle, BCI

Corynorhinus townsendii  Townsend’s big-eared bat (Vespertilionidae)  Corynorhinus townsendii  Townsend’s big-eared bat  Family Name: Vespertilionidae  Genus: Corynorhinus  Species Name: townsendii  Pronunciation: core-ee-no-rine-us town-send-ee-eye  Common Name: Townsend’s big-eared bat

Townsend's big-eared bats are found throughout western North America, from British Columbia south to Oaxaca, Mexico, with two endangered subspecies in isolated areas in the Ozark and Central Appalachian regions of the United States. Their most typical habitat is arid western desert scrub and pine forest regions. These agile fliers venture out to forage only after dark, using their keen echolocation to hunt moths and other insects. In the spring and summer, females form maternity colonies in mines, caves, or buildings, while males roost individually.

In winter, these bats hibernate in caves and abandoned mines. They are extremely sensitive to disturbance at their roosting sites and have suffered severe population declines throughout much of the U.S.

To learn more, read about this bat in the BATS magazine archive:

The Plight of Plecotus
Help for Townsend's Big-Eared Bats in California
Managing a National Wildlife Refuge for Bats
A Grand Effort in the rand Canyon
Colony of Endangered Big-eared Bats Grows
Are American Bats Losing Ground?
Bats and Mines: Abandoned Does Not Always Mean Empty
Protecting Bats in Our National Parks

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