Townsend's Big-Eared Bat

Corynorhinus townsendii

Description: Medium-sized bat, body length about 3 1/4 to 4 3/8" with a 12 1/2" wingspan. Has very long ears. Fur on back is gray at base, brownish at tip. Buff colored below. Two lumps on sides of muzzle.

Range: Mainly in western North America, from British Columbia down into Mexico.

Habitat: Found in desert scrub and coniferous forests. Roosts in caves or abandoned mines, occasionally in buildings.

Diet: Almost exclusively small moths.

Behavior: Males are solitary, females form nursery colonies of up to several hundred bats. Bears only one young each year. Hibernates in caves or mines, very sensitive to disturbance. Emerges to feed late in the evening.