Townsend's Big-eared Bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) are fairly large, brown bats with very long ears. The head and body are about 4-inches long, and the wingspan is about 12 inches. When seen, these bats can be recognized by their enormous, 1-inch long ears.

Taxonomy: Order: Chiroptera, Family: Vespertilionidae

Female Townsend's Big-eared Bats form maternity colonies during summer. Maternity colonies consist of one or more small clusters of bats of up to about 100 bats per cluster. Photos below show typical maternity colony behavior (two clusters of bats). In these colonies, the females come together to roost during the day and care for their young. This species is considered sensitive in Nevada, and it is important to stay away from maternal colonies and not disturb them. I saw these bats while exiting a cave, and fortunately, they did not fly off as we climbed out. If we had scared them off, some of the pups may have died.

Males are solitary during the maternity periods.