(Des Moines, IA) -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reclassifying the northern long-eared bat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The bat was listed as a federally threatened species in 2015.
The northern long-eared bat is present throughout Iowa, especially in the central and southern parts of the state. The FWS says the spread of deadly white-nose syndrome is the animal's primary threat.