common long-eared bat vs Lesser Noctule

Plecotus auritus compared with Nyctalus leisleri

Key Differences

• common long-eared bat is Near Threatened while Lesser Noctule is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	common long-eared bat	Lesser Noctule
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Chiroptera (Bats)	Chiroptera (Bats)
Family same	Vespertilionidae	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Plecotus	Nyctalus
Species	Plecotus auritus	Nyctalus leisleri

Evolutionary Relationship

common long-eared bat and Lesser Noctule share a common ancestor at the Family level: Vespertilionidae.

Conservation Status

common long-eared bat

NT — Near Threatened

Lesser Noctule

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	common long-eared bat	Lesser Noctule
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

common long-eared bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Lesser Noctule

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden, and Ukraine. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

common long-eared bat

common long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine