Weight
1/4 - 1/2 oz
(8 - 16 g)
Body Length
4 - 4 2/3 in
(10.3 - 11.8 cm)
Allen's Big-eared Bat
Idionycteris phyllotis
Photo credit: Ernie Valdez
Chiroptera
Yangochiroptera
Vespertilionidae
Call Characteristics
Low frequency caller (~25 kHz)
Allen's big-eared bat has long, dark brown fur with lighter tips and a black patch on each shoulder. This species has very long (1-1.5 in) ears! The species is often associated with pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, juniper, and oak and includes desert mountains in the southwestern US and Mexico. Maternity colonies have been observed in mines and dead trees. Allen's big-eared bats prefer to eat moths but also consume other flying insects. Mothers have one pup per year.
There are various sources for bat species range maps including IUCN, NatureServe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS, and the National Atlas of the United States.
Habitat Range
Information used to populate this page was obtained from the following sources:
NatureServe Explorer
United States Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System
Bat Conservation International Bat Profiles
National Atlas of the United States. (2011). North American Bat Ranges, 1830-2008. National Atlas of the United States. Available at: http://purl.stanford.edu/pz329xp4277.
Taylor, M. 2019. Bats: an illustrated guide to all species. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books.