The Ozark big-eared bat is a threatened species found only in a small number of caves in the southern central United States. Also known as the western big-eared bat, the long-eared bat, and the lump-nosed bat, its appearance is defined by a pair of outsize ears and a lump-adorned nose.

These bats, whose bodies are normally less than 4 inches long, have ears that extend more than an inch in length. Their ears are generally held erect, except during hibernation, when some bats coil them like ram’s horns.

Beyond the mythical ears, these bats have two distinctive facial glands on either side of their nose resembling a pair of mittens. Their fur is light to dark brown, and their bellies are tan.