Species · GBIF taxon 2432352
Big Brown Bat
Eptesicus fuscusAlso known as Common Brown Bat, House Bat
Big brown bats are robust, glossy-furred aerial insectivores that frequently roost in attics, barns, and hollow trees. They emerge at dusk, navigating with precise echolocation to hunt beetles, moths, and agricultural pests. During winter, these resilient mammals hibernate in caves, mines, or insulated human structures, often returning to the exact same roosts year after year.
NocturnalInsectivorousMammal
Licensed reference(c) Fyn Kynd, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
- diet
- Insects, primarily beetles, moths, flies, and wasps
- family
- Vespertilionidae
- threats
- White-nose syndrome, habitat loss, wind turbines, and human persecution
- life Span
- Up to 19 years in the wild
LC
Can carry rabies and bite defensively; never handle bats without professional training and protective gear.
Can transmit rabies through saliva from a bite or scratch, and will bite defensively if handled.
Never touch a bat with bare hands; contact animal control if one is found grounded or indoors.- Listen for clicks: Listen for their audible chattering and clicking sounds when they emerge from roosts at dusk.
- Watch the sky: Look up near streetlights or open water sources just after sunset to watch them hunt.
- Exclude safely: Use one-way exit devices to humanely remove them from attics during late summer.