# Long-eared Bats (*Plecotus*) Long-eared bats are small, furry creatures with big ears! They use their ears to hear tiny sounds and find food like insects at night. These bats help keep our environment healthy by eating bugs. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Long-eared Bats](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Plecotus_auritus_2013-2_%28cropped%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Fourrure from France, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plecotus_auritus_2013-2_%28cropped%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Long-eared Bats has incredibly long ears, often nearly as long as its body, which it can fold back like a ram's horn. Its fur is typically light brown or grey-brown on its back, fading to a paler belly. It has a distinctive, almost 'pig-like' nose. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Chiroptera - **Family:** Vespertilionidae - **Genus:** Plecotus ## Interesting facts - A single long-eared bat can eat its own weight in insects every single night! - Instead of just flying, they can hover to pluck insects right off leaves and branches! - Long-eared bats are so good at hearing, they can detect the footsteps of a beetle on a leaf! - When they're extra sleepy, they can even tuck their long ears completely into their fur! ## Special abilities - **Whisper Catcher:** Long-eared Bats can hear the faintest sounds of insects because of their enormous ears that help them pinpoint hidden prey. - **Stealth Sonar:** Long-eared Bats has super quiet echolocation calls that helps them hunt without alerting even sensitive prey. - **Ear Tuck:** Long-eared Bats can fold their giant ears under their wings when resting because that helps them save energy and fit into small spaces. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 4.5-5.5 cm - **Wingspan:** 24-28.5 cm - **Weight:** 0.005-0.012 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-30 years - **Speed:** 30 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1 - **Gestation:** 40-70 days ## Diet & Feeding These tiny hunters gobble up all sorts of creepy crawlies like moths, beetles, and earwigs! - **Primary Foods:** Moths, Beetles, Earwigs, Spiders, Lacewings - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Large Yellow Underwing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/large-yellow-underwing) (*Noctua pronuba*) — A common moth eaten by these bats. - **Eats:** European Earwig (*Forficula auricularia*) — Often gleaned from leaves and branches. - **Eaten by:** [Tawny Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tawny-owl) (*Strix aluco*) — An avian predator that hunts bats. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Echolocation](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/echolocation): Echolocation is a biological sonar used by animals to navigate, hunt, and communicate by emitting sound waves and interpreting the echoes. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low If you see a bat, it's best to watch from a distance and not touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Long-eared Bats? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Long-eared Bats? 4.5-5.5 cm ### What is Long-eared Bats's wingspan? 24-28.5 cm ### How much does Long-eared Bats weigh? 0.005-0.012 kg ### How long does Long-eared Bats live? 5-30 years ### How fast can Long-eared Bats move? 30 km/h ### What does Long-eared Bats eat? These tiny hunters gobble up all sorts of creepy crawlies like moths, beetles, and earwigs! ### Where is Long-eared Bats usually found? Forests ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Long-eared Bats: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/long-eared-bats)