Cluster Bat vs Hottentot Golden Mole

Myotis sodalis compared with Amblysomus hottentotus

Key Differences

Cluster Bat is Near Threatened while Hottentot Golden Mole is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cluster Bat	Hottentot Golden Mole
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Chiroptera (Bats)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Vespertilionidae	Chrysochloridae
Genus	Myotis	Amblysomus
Species	Myotis sodalis	Amblysomus hottentotus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cluster Bat and Hottentot Golden Mole share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

View Class: Mammalia

Conservation Status

Cluster Bat

NT — Near Threatened

Hottentot Golden Mole

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cluster Bat	Hottentot Golden Mole
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cluster Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Hottentot Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Cluster Bat

Myotis sodalis, the Indiana bat or cluster bat, is a medium-sized insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae endemic to the eastern United States. It is one of the most endangered bats in North America, listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The species is named for its behavior of clustering in extremely dense hibernation groups—sometimes thousands of bats per square meter—in specific limestone caves and mines during winter. These few critical hibernacula make the species extremely vulnerable to disturbance and disease. Since 2007, Indiana bats have suffered severe mortality from white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans that disrupts hibernation and causes mass starvation. During summer, Indiana bats roost under loose bark of dead trees and forage for insects over forested landscapes and riparian areas. Foraging individuals consume moths, beetles, and flying insects. Conservation efforts include cave gate protection, white-nose syndrome research, and summer habitat management on public and private lands across the eastern US.