Big Brown Bat

bats · nocturnal hunters · North America · echolocation

Surprisingly hefty flyer. Despite being called a microbat, the big brown bat weighs 15 to 26 grams and has a wingspan of 32.5 to 35 centimeters, making it one of the larger microbats in North America.

Widespread across Americas. These bats live throughout North America, the Caribbean, and the northern parts of South America, adapting to forests, cities, and caves.

Hungry insect hunters. Big brown bats use echolocation to find and catch flying insects like mosquitoes and beetles, eating thousands of insects each night.

Named in 1796. Scientists first officially described the big brown bat as its own species in 1796, though humans had observed them for much longer.

City living bats. Unlike many bat species that need wilderness, big brown bats thrive in towns and cities, roosting in buildings, attics, and bridges.