Rafinesque's big-eared bat (''Corynorhinus rafinesquii''), sometimes known as the southeastern big-eared bat, is a species of

vesper bat Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat familie ...

native to the southeastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Description

As its name implies, this species has ears over an inch long. The genus name ''Corynorhinus'' means "club-nosed". Similar to

Townsend's big-eared bat Townsend's big-eared bat (''Corynorhinus townsendii'') is a species of vesper bat. Description Townsend's big-eared bat is a medium-sized bat (7-12 g)

, this species has two lumps on either side of its nose. Rafinesque's big-eared bat is a medium-sized bat with a length around and a wingspan of . These bats range in weight from . The bat is gray on the dorsal side and white on the underside. The ears and face are a pinkish-brown color, while the forearm and wing membrane are dark brown. Some sources report its maximum lifespan as 10 years, although robust data are lacking. More research has been done on the closely related Townsend's big-eared bat, and estimates for this species' lifespan range from 16 to 30 years in the wild. While uncommon throughout its range, this species is found in a variety of habitats from coastal plains and riparian areas to mountainous areas such as the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, whi ...

. In all cases, these bats are associated with large areas of relatively mature forest.

Diet

Rafinesque's big-eared bats, like all bats in the southeastern United States, are

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

, and locate food primarily by echolocation. They consume a wide range of insects, including mosquitoes, beetles, and flies, although moths make up 90% of the diet. Insects can be caught by

gleaning Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. It is a practice described in the Hebrew Bible that became a legall ...

(e.g., from foliage or cave walls) or on the wing (i.e., aerial hawking).

Roosting

Due to seasonality, geographical location, and frequent roost-switching, ''C. rafinesquii'' can be found in a variety of locations. Tree roosts may be in living or dead trees but are usually quite large (one study reported average diameter at breast height of tree roosts to be 79 cm with a height of 18.5m). Rafinesque's big-eared bats can also be found in abandoned buildings, under bridges, in wells, and in caves.

', Lance, R.F. et al. (2001). Day-roost selection by Rafinesque's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) in Louisiana forests. Journal of Mammalogy 82(1):166-172.

Conservation status

While listed as least concern by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(previously listed as vulnerable), Rafinesque's big-eared bats are listed as a candidate II species of concern by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...

. Additionally, it is listed as threatened by state agencies throughout most of its range.

', Bat Conservation International and Southeastern Bat Diversity Network. (2013). A conservation strategy for Rafinesque's big-eared bat (''Corynorhinus rafinesquii'') and southeastern myotis (''Myotis austroriparus''). Bat Conservation International, Austin, TX. (specific citations from page 41-43 and page 93)

White-nose syndrome White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease in North American bats which has resulted in the dramatic decrease of the bat population in the United States and Canada, reportedly killing millions as of 2018. The condition is named for a distincti ...

is a serious disease caused by a fungal pathogen that has devastated several species of bats in the eastern United States. Unlike some other species of bats with which it shares its range, Rafinesque's big-eared bat does not appear to be affected by the disease. Hypothesized reasons include use of hibernacula that may not provide optimal growing conditions for the causal agent (the fungus ''

Pseudogymnoascus destructans ''Pseudogymnoascus destructans'' (formerly known as ''Geomyces destructans'') is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease that has devastated bat populations in parts of the United States and Can ...

''), relatively frequent arousals from

torpor Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the time ...

, and/or the usage of shallow bouts of torpor by this species.

References

External links

A video demonstrating one type of roost habitat for this species in Florida can be seen here.

A poster from the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning about Rafinesque's big-eared bats within the park.

A short video about Rafinesque's big-eared bats produced by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Southeastern Bat Diversity Network website
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1831845 Corynorhinus Mammals described in 1827 Taxa named by René Lesson Bats of the United States Mammals of North America Fauna of the Eastern United States Fauna of the Southeastern United States Fauna of the Plains-Midwest (United States) Taxonomy articles created by Polbot