American long-eared bats
| American long-eared bats | ||||||||||||
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Townsend long-eared ( Corynorhinus townsendii ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Corynorhinus | ||||||||||||
| Allen , 1865 |
The American long-eared bats ( Corynorhinus ) represent a genus within the suborder of the bats and are assigned to the family of smooth-nosed bats (Vespertilionidae). They are closely related to the (Old World) long-eared bats ( Plecotus ) and are sometimes placed in the same genus.
These bats reach a head-trunk length of 45 to 70 millimeters, a tail length of 35 to 55 millimeters and a weight of 5 to 20 grams. Their fur is brown in color, with the underside being slightly lighter than the top. Their namesake features are their up to 40 millimeter long ears, which have numerous transverse grooves and have grown together at the root of the ear.
American long-eared bats are native to North America and Mexico , they live in different habitats, but mostly in tree-covered areas. Empty buildings and caves serve as resting places. They sleep in groups of several dozen to a thousand animals, and in most colonies the females are clearly overweight. At night they go in search of food. Their flight is slow, but they can pause briefly in the air to peck their prey from leaves or walls. Their diet consists entirely of insects.
During the winter these animals hibernate briefly . Mating takes place in the winter quarters, but fertilization only takes place in warmer weather, so the gestation period can vary between 56 and 100 days. A single young is born in April to June and is weaned after just two months.
There are three types:
- The Townsend long-eared ( Corynorhinus townsendii ) lives in southwestern Canada , in the western United States and in Mexico to Oaxaca . It lives both in arid desert areas and in forests.
- The Mexican long-eared ( Corynorhinus mexicanus ) is common in almost all of Mexico. Their preferred habitat are higher-lying forests.
- The Rafinesque long-eared long-eared ( Corynorhinus rafinesquii ) is found in the eastern United States (from Indiana and Missouri to the east).
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Search for "Corynorhinus" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .