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Corynorhinus townsendii
Small group of Townsend's Big-Eared Bats (AKA: Lump-Nosed Bat or Western Bigeared Bat) spotted hanging high above the ground during daylight hours in the "rock rooms" area of Elk Mountain, in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, OK. They are a medium-sized insectivorous bat with very large ears, which measure about half its body length and are connected at the base. There are two prominent lumps on either side of the nostrils which may function as sexual scent glands. Their wingspan ranges from 12 to 13 inches and they weigh one-third to one-half ounce, about the weight of one to two large marshmallows. Their wings are large and wide relative to their body size, which provide them with the ability to fly at low speeds, to hover and to maneuver more readily in cluttered environments.
The Townsend's Big-Eared Bat occurs throughout the west and is distributed from the southern portion of British Columbia south along the Pacific coast to central Mexico and east into the Great Plains, with isolated populations occurring in the central and eastern United States. The Townsend's Big-Eared Bat bat is known for the unique habit of forming maternity roosts during breeding season. The maternity roosts are established in areas with ideal temperature and humidity, and are easily disturbed
Spotted on Apr 16, 2022
Submitted on Apr 16, 2022
