Corynorhinus townsendii (Townsend's Big-eared Bat)
Credit: Devaughn Fraser
about the species
Townsend’s big-eared bat is easily recognizable by its extremely long ears and glandular lumps between the eyes and nostrils. They are called “whispering bats” as they echolocate with low-intensity calls while foraging for insect prey. There are currently five recognized subspecies of Townsend’s big-eared bats, with evidence of up to two subspecies occurring throughout California. This bat species roosts in caves and other cave-like habitats, including abandoned mines and buildings, which are increasingly limited or altered across the landscape.
why species was selected
The Townsend’s big-eared bat is designated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) as a Species of Special Concern throughout its range in California. The extent to which Townsend’s big-eared bat populations in California are genetically structured, locally adapted, and possess unique functional genomic variation is currently unknown. Such data would greatly aid the management of this species by allowing the establishment of Management Units designed to maximize conservation of the remaining genomic variation (neutral and adaptive) distributed throughout California.
