Head to head
Brown Long-eared Bat vs Townsend's Big-Eared Bat
Brown Long-eared Bat
VS Townsend's Big-Eared Bat
The brown long-eared bat of Europe and Townsend's big-eared bat of western North America are look-alike cousins in the long-eared bat group, both with ears nearly as long as their bodies.
| Brown Long-eared Bat | Townsend's Big-Eared Bat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Plecotus auritus | Corynorhinus townsendii |
| Range | Woodland, parks, and gardens across much of Europe and into western Asia, including Britain and Ireland | Mountain and forest habitat across western North America |
| Ears | Almost as long as its head and body combined | Nearly as long as its body, among the largest of any North American bat |
| Resting posture | Curls its ears back along its body when resting or hibernating, like small ram's horns | Curls its ears back like rams' horns while resting or hibernating |
| Hunting | Gleans insects from leaves and bark, listening for faint sounds, and can hover | Tracks and captures moths in flight using highly sensitive echolocation |
| Echolocation | Very soft calls, which makes it hard to detect with a bat detector | Calls at frequencies that can help it avoid detection by moths able to hear bat calls |
| Roost sensitivity | Not specifically documented | Unusually sensitive to disturbance, and repeated visits can make a colony abandon a roost for good |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with a stable population | Least Concern, though several regional populations have declined |
Brown Long-eared Bat vs Townsend's Big-Eared Bat: common questions
Why do these bats curl their ears?
Both curl their long ears back along the body like ram's horns while resting or hibernating.
Which bat is sensitive to roost disturbance?
Townsend's big-eared bat, which is unusually sensitive, and repeated human visits to a cave or mine can make a colony abandon it permanently.
Where do the brown long-eared bat and Townsend's big-eared bat live?
The brown long-eared bat lives across much of Europe and into western Asia, while Townsend's big-eared bat lives in mountain and forest habitat in western North America.