Coming from Europe and Northern Africa the longer-eared bat has ears that are not just long but humongous. The bat’s fuzzy little body is only about 2 inches (5 cm) long while the ears can be about an inch and a half (3.8 cm). The bat uses its ears to good effect to catch its favorite food – moths and other insects. For example, it can hear the sounds of moths wings that are covered with down for the exact purpose of deadening its sound so that it can fly in silence and escape predators. That doesn’t fool the long-eared bat, it is still able to hear the wings of super-silent moths beating and hone in. It also uses its vision to hunt (to spy out and pluck insects off of tree bark), something not all bats use that much. In flight it usually flies with its ears directed forward to catch any incoming sounds. It is also known for its delicate flying, with the ability to hover.

If it is summer the bat will sleep out in the fresh open air on trees or in tree hollows. It will leave its roost well after sunset and thread its way through the thick forest trees feeding leisurely throughout the night, living mostly solitary. In the winter though it will find a nice cave to sleep through the winter clustering up with 8 to 12 other bats.