long-eared bat

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long-eared bat

mammal

Also known as: big-eared bat, lump-nosed bat

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Also called:: lump-nosed bat or big-eared bat

Related Topics:: vesper bat

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long-eared bat, any of 19 species of small, usually colony-dwelling vesper bats (family Vespertilionidae). Long-eared bats are found in both the Old World and the New World (Plecotus) and in Australia (Nyctophilus). They are approximately 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 inches) long, not including the 3.5–5.5-cm tail, and weigh 5–20 grams (0.2–0.7 ounce). They have soft brown fur, and some species have glandular lumps on the muzzle. The ears, which may be 4 cm long, are folded when the bats rest. Long-eared bats fly slowly and frequently hover to pick insects from leaves or walls. Like many bats found in temperate regions, they hibernate in winter instead of migrating.