The Corynorhinus genus, called the North American big-eared bats, consists of three different species located from central Mexico to southwestern Canada (C. mexicanus, C. rafinesquii, C. townsendii).

Subsequent glacial advances around 1.8-1.0 mya finally divided all these lineages into the subspecies that are found today.

[6] The Virginia big-eared bat has light to dark brown fur depending on age.

[3] They hunt for insects such as: small moths, beetles, flies, lacewings, bees and wasps.

[4] Threats to this species include disturbance from noise, bright lights, and human presence.

[7] The Virginia big-eared bat consumes insects, with small moths making up a significant portion of the diet.

Echolocation is a natural ability that bats have that allows them to make sounds that then echo off of objects around them, enabling them to find their prey while flying in the dark.

[13] In Kentucky a similar study was done, examining the fecal pellets and stomach contents of the bats in and around the caves.

The processed food showed that in this particular area the Virginia Big-Eared Bat had a diet of mainly Lepidoptera (moths) and Coleoptera (beetles), along with spiders, crickets, roaches, flies, ants, wasps and bees.

This subspecies of Townsend's big-eared bats prefer caves made from limestone bedrock.

[16] It is hard for these bats to find suitable habitats due to their strict requirements when it comes to the temperature and humidity levels of caves.

Many studies have seemed to have inconsistent results, showing high bat activity on cliffs, forest habitats, and open fields/pastures.

The burning of their fat makes them very weak and causes female bats to leave their babies if a maternity site is disturbed or altered.

These clusters occur at the opening of each cave, due to the suitable temperature and good ventilation.

[15] Most of these bats reside in Limestone caves based on the thermal warming of the roost, which is the most important factor when it comes to the habitat the mothers need when pregnant.

Roosts in Virginia showed a decrease in the number of bats in late May to early June.

[19] Over 5,000 Virginia big-eared bats, approximately 40 percent of the species' total population were found hibernating in Stillhouse Cave, in the Daniel Boone National Forest of Kentucky.

[22] Cave sites preferred by Virginia big-eared bats would be gated off to prevent human disturbance, and colonies would be monitored for population surveys.

Specifically, the recovery plan under the Endangered Species Act required the monitoring of population trends with minimally invasive infrared sensors, searching for undocumented caves of importance to Big-Eared Bats, preventing human disturbance of said caves by installing gates and signs, appropriate agencies protecting the caves providing habitat for solitary big-eared bats, preventing changes and damage to essential habitat, developing and maintaining support for species protection, preparing and maintaining a management profile for each colony site to record population and activity, and appointing a coordinator for all recovery and research efforts.

[21] The population increase of the Virginia big-eared bat is considered to be a successful revival due to the Endangered Species Act.

[25] White-nose syndrome (WNS) is one of the worst wildlife diseases in recent history that is currently decimating North American cave-hibernating bat populations.

[26] This epidemic is responsible for mass mortalities in hibernating North American bats, and is caused by a uniquely cold-adapted fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans.