The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Bats

Mesophylla
One species


MacConnell's Bat Mesophylla macconnelli
Monotypic


Both photos below by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica


MacConnell's bat (Mesophylla macconnelli) | ZooChat


MacConnell's bat (Mesophylla macconnelli) | ZooChat

 

Platyrrhinus
About twenty species, of which only one is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Greater Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus vittatus
Monotypic


Photo by @Giant Eland at Bat Jungle, Costa Rica


greater broad-nosed bat (Platyrrhinus vittatus) | ZooChat


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/greater-broad-nosed-bat-platyrrhinus-vittatus.687092/



There are about twenty other species in the genus:

Alberico's Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus albericoi
Darien Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus aquilus
Slender Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus angustirostris
Eldorado Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus aurarius
Short-headed Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus brachycephalus
Choco Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus chocoensis
Thomas' Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus dorsalis
Brown-bellied Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus fusciventris
Heller's Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus helleri
Incan Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus incarum
Buffy Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus infuscus
Ismael's Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus ismaeli
White-lined Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus lineatus
Quechua Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus masu
Matapalo Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus matapalensis
Geoffroy's Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus nigellus
Western Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus nitelinea
Recife Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus recifinus
Shadowy Broad-nosed Bat Platyrrhinus umbratus

 

Sturnira
About 24 species, only two of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Highland Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira ludovici
Two subspecies: ludovici, occidentalis


Photo by @Maguari at Bat Jungle, Costa Rica (subspecies ludovici) - @Maguari notes later in this thread that this is possibly S. burtonlimi, based on distributions in the bat volume of HMW.


Highland Yellow-shouldered Bat at the Bat Jungle, 21/04/14 | ZooChat



Small-toothed Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira parvidens
Monotypic. Formerly included within S. lilium.


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/northern-yellow-shouldered-bat-sturnira-parvidens.687160/



There are about 22 other species in the genus:

Adriana's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira adrianae
Angel's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira angeli
Aratathomas' Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira aratathomasi
Baker's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira bakeri
Bidentate Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira bidens
Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira bogotensis
Burton Lim's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira burtonlimi
Hairy Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira erythromos
Honduras Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira hondurensis
Koopman Hill's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira koopmanhilli
Little Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira lilium
Louis' Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira luisi
Greater Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira magna
Mistratoan Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira mistratensis
Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira mordax
Lesser Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira nana
Tschudi's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira oporaphilum
Paulson's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira paulsoni
Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira Sturnira perla
Soriano's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira sorianoi
Thomas' Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira thomasi
Tilda's Yellow-shouldered Bat Sturnira tildae

 

Uroderma
About five species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.

Traditionally only two species have been recognised, U. bilobatum and U. magnirostris. A new species was described from Venezuela in 2014 (U. bakeri) at which time a revision of the genus was undertaken and in which the U. bilobatum complex was split into three species - U. bilobatum (with the subspecies thomasi and trinitatum); U. convexum (with the subspecies molaris); and U. davisi (monotypic).



Central American Tent-making Bat Uroderma convexum
Two subspecies: convexum, molaris


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica (subspecies molaris)


tent-making bat (Uroderma bilobatum) | ZooChat


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica (subspecies molaris)


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/mesoamerican-tent-making-bat-uroderma-convexum.686935/



The other species in the genus are as follows:

Baker's Tent-making Bat Uroderma bakeri
Peter's Tent-making Bat Uroderma bilobatum
Davis' Tent-making Bat Uroderma davisi
Brown Tent-making Bat Uroderma magnirostrum



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Vampyressa
Five species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Northern Little Yellow-eared Bat Vampyressa thyone
Monotypic. Formerly was treated as a subspecies of V. pusilla.


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/little-yellow-eared-bat-vampyressa-thyone.687078/



The other species in the genus are as follows:

Panama Yellow-eared Bat Vampyressa elisabethae
Melissa's Yellow-eared Bat Vampyressa melissa
Southern Little Yellow-eared Bat Vampyressa pusilla
Colombian Yellow-eared Bat Vampyressa sinchi



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Vampyriscus
Three species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Striped Yellow-eared Bat Vampyriscus nymphaea
Monotypic


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica


striped yellow-eared bat (Vampyriscus nymphaea) - ZooChat


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/striped-yellow-eared-bat-vampyriscus-nymphaea.687083/



The other two species in the genus are as follows:

Bidentate Yellow-eared Bat Vampyriscus bidens
Brock's Yellow-eared Bat Vampyriscus brocki



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Vampyrodes
Two species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Central American Great Stripe-faced Bat Vampyrodes major
Monotypic. Formerly treated as a subspecies of V. caraccioli.


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/greater-stripe-faced-bat-vampyrodes-major.687155/



The other species in the genus is the South American Great Stripe-faced Bat Vampyrodes caraccioli

 

None of the remaining genera in the subfamily Stenodermatinae are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Ametrida
One species

Little White-shouldered Bat Ametrida centurio


Ardops
One species

Tree Bat Ardops nichollsi


Ariteus
One species

Jamaican Fig-eating Bat Ariteus flavescens


Centurio
One species

Wrinkle-faced Bat Centurio senex


Enchisthenes
One species

Velvety Fruit-eating Bat Enchisthenes hartii


Phyllops
One species

Cuban Fig-eating Bat Phyllops falcatus


Pygoderma
One species

Ipanema Bat Pygoderma bilabiatum


Sphaeronycteris
One species

Visored Bat Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum


Stenoderma
One species

Red Fruit Bat Stenoderma rufum

 

Suspect it may be possible to someone root up a photo of this species, as they are on-display at Krefeld and offshow at Plzen. I know I certainly do, albeit too poor for the purposes of this thread.

 

I'll just look for the photo in question to see if I can work them out - they have two species offshow at Plzen (the other being Pale Spearnosed) so it may or may not fit.

 

I expect I will have missed several species once the thread is complete. The problem with the bats is that if a photo isn't labelled with at least the genus then it is difficult to find because there are too many species to search by common name, and a simple "bat" is no real use as a search-term.

 

Looks like that photo was Pale Spearnosed - but will keep looking

 

Family MYSTACINIDAE
New Zealand Short-tailed Bats

Two species in one genus: Mystacina

One species is represented in the Zoochat galleries as a museum specimen.


Lesser Short-tailed Bat Mystacina tuberculata
Three subspecies: aupourica, rhyacobi, tuberculata


Photo by @Chlidonias at Te Papa (National Museum of New Zealand), New Zealand (taxidermy specimen)


Lesser Short-tailed Bat (Mystacina tuberculata) - ZooChat



The second species is the Greater Short-tailed Bat Mystacina robusta which is probably extinct, last being recorded in 1967.

 

Family MYZOPODIDAE
Madagascan Sucker-footed Bats

Two species in one genus: Myzopoda

Neither species is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Eastern Sucker-footed Bat Myzopoda aurita

Western Sucker-footed Bat Myzopoda schliemanni

 

Family NATALIDAE
Funnel-eared Bats

Eleven species in three genera: Chilonatalus, Natalus, Nyctiellus (formerly all treated as subgenera)

One of the species is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Natalus
Eight species (there are a multitude of opinions on the taxonomy of this genus, with it even being treated as monotypic in the past)


Mexican Greater Funnel-eared Bat Natalus mexicanus
Monotypic, although the subspecies saturatus has been recognised as valid in the past.


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Mexico


Mexican Funnel-eared Bat (Natalus mexicanus) - ZooChat



The other species in the genus are as follows:

Brazilian Funnel-eared Bat Natalus espiritosantensis
Jamaican Greater Funnel-eared Bat Natalus jamaicensis
Woolly Funnel-eared Bat Natalus lanatus
Hispaniolan Greater Funnel-eared Bat Natalus major
Cuban Greater Funnel-eared Bat Natalus primus
Mexican Funnel-eared Bat Natalus stramineus
Trinidadian Funnel-eared Bat Natalus tumidirostris


.....................................................................................


The other two genera in the family are as follows:


Chilonatalus
Two species

Cuban Funnel-eared Bat Chilonatalus micropus
Bahaman Funnel-eared Bat Chilonatalus tumidifrons


Nyctiellus
One species

Gervais's Funnel-eared Bat Nyctiellus lepidus

 

Family MOLOSSIDAE
Free-tailed Bats

About 120 species in seventeen genera: Austronomus, Chaerephon, Cheiromeles, Cynomops, Eumops, Molossops, Molossus, Mops, Mormopterus, Myopterus, Nyctinomops, Otomops, Platymops, Promops, Sauromys, Tadarida, Tomopeas


There are only eleven species in the Zoochat galleries, representing seven genera: Austronomus, Chaerephon, Cynomops, Eumops, Molossus, Mormopterus, Tadarida.

 

Austronomus
Two species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.


White-striped Free-tailed Bat Austronomus australis
Perhaps monotypic, although a subspecies atratus has been named from South Australia.


Photo by @Najade of a wild-caught animal, Australia


White-striped Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus australis) | ZooChat


The second species in the genus is the New Guinea Free-tailed Bat Austronomus kuboriensis which was originally described as a subspecies of A. australis.

 

Chaerephon
About nineteen species, of which one species is depicted in this thread.

There are actually two species represented in the Zoochat galleries, but the second one (the Wrinkle-lipped Bat Chaerephon plicata) is shown only as clouds of bats in the night sky and so is not really useful to include in this thread: Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bats - ZooChat



Lesser or Little Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon pumilus
Perhaps monotypic. As many as twelve subspecies have been named across Africa, but they are poorly defined.


Photo by @lintworm in the wild, Tanzania


Lesser free-tailed bat | ZooChat



The remaining eighteen species are not represented in the Zoochat galleries:


Duke of Abruzzi's Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon aloysiisabaudiae
Ansorge's Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon ansorgei
Gland-tailed Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon bemmeleni
Spotted Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon bivittata
Fijian Mastiff Bat Chaerephon bregullae
Chapin's Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon chapini
Gallagher's Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon gallagheri
Northern Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon jobensis
Red Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon jobimena
Northern Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon johorensis
Grandidier's Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon leucogaster
Lappet-eared Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon major
Nigerian Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon nigeriae
Wrinkle-lipped Bat Chaerephon plicata
Russet Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon russata
Shortridge's Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon shortridgei
Solomons Mastiff Bat Chaerephon solomonis
São Tomé Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon tomensis



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Cynomops
At least six species, but the taxonomy is messy.



Greenhall's Dog-faced Bat Cynomops greenhalli
Treated as monotypic but it has a very large distribution.


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


Greenhall’s Dog-faced Bat (Cynomops greenhalli) - ZooChat


The other species in the genus include:

Cinnamon Dog-faced Bat Cynomops abrasus
Mexican Dog-faced Bat Cynomops mexicanus
Miller's Dog-faced Bat Cynomops milleri
Brown Dog-faced Bat Cynomops paranus
Southern Dog-faced Bat Cynomops planirostris

 

Eumops
About fifteen species, of which two species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Western Mastiff Bat Eumops perotis
Three subspecies: californicus, gigas, perotis


Photo by @RatioTile at Lindsay Wildlife Experience (USA) (subspecies californicus)


https://www.zoochat.com/community/m...bat-eumops-perotis-californicus-cloud.680659/



Underwood's Bonneted Bat Eumops underwoodi
Two subspecies: sonoriensis, underwoodi


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica (subspecies underwoodi)


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/underwoods-bonneted-bat-eumops-underwoodi.686928/



The remaining species in the genus are not represented in the Zoochat galleries:


Black Bonneted or Shaw's Mastiff Bat Eumops auripendulus
Dwarf Bonneted Bat Eumops bonariensis
Big Bonneted or Dabbene's Mastiff Bat Eumops dabbenei
Delta Bonneted Bat Eumops delticus
Fierce Bonneted or Chestnut Mastiff Bat Eumops ferox
Florida Bonneted Bat Eumops floridanus
Wagner's Bonneted Bat Eumops glaucinus
Sanborn's Bonneted Bat Eumops hansae
Guianan Bonneted Bat Eumops maurus
Small Bonneted Bat Eumops nanus
Patagonian Dwarf Bonneted Bat Eumops patagonicus
Colombian Bonneted Bat Eumops trumbulli
Wilson's Bonneted Bat Eumops wilsoni



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Molossus
At least ten species, of which two species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Pallas' Mastiff Bat Molossus molossus
Subspecies are really messy. Usually up to nine are recognised - crassicaudatus, daulensis, debilis, fortis, milleri, molossus, pygmaeus, tropidorhynchus, verrilli - but several of these are probably distinct species (e.g. milleri, tropidorhynchus, and verrilli)


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica (subspecies molossus)


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/little-mastiff-bat-molossus-molossus.686927/



Miller's Mastiff Bat Molossus pretiosus
Monotypic


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/millers-mastiff-bat-molossus-pretiosus.686926/



The other species in the genus are (at least) as follows, although several of them are probably complexes. I have mostly followed the IUCN list here.


Alvarez's Mastiff Bat Molossus alvarezi
Aztec Mastiff Bat Molossus aztecus
Bonda Mastiff Bat Molossus bondae
Coiba Mastiff Bat Molossus coibensis
Thomas' Mastiff Bat Molossus currentium
Fenton's Mastiff Bat Molossus fentoni (described in 2018)
Black Mastiff Bat Molossus rufus
Sinaloan Mastiff Bat Molossus sinaloae

 

Mormopterus
At least eighteen species, although several are probably species complexes. There are two species represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Inland Freetail Bat Mormopterus petersi
Monotypic


Photo by @Monty in the wild, Australia (there is no locality data with this photo, so it could be one of the other species in the Australian complex)


Inland Freetail Bat | ZooChat


Eastern Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus ridei
Probably composed of two species (southern Australian and northern Australian). The species was itself formerly treated as a subspecies of the New Guinean Mormopterus loriae.


Photo by @Najade at the Tolga Bat Hospital, Australia (animal from the northern population)


Eastern Free-tailed Bat (Mormopterus ridei) | ZooChat



The remaining sixteen species are not represented in the Zoochat galleries:


Mauritius Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus acetabulosus
Beccari's Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus beccarii
Northern Coastal Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus cobourgiana (split from Mormopterus loriae)
Sumatran Mastiff Bat Mormopterus doriae
Bristle-faced or Hairy-nosed Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus eleryi
Reunion Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus francoismoutoui (split from Mormopterus acetabulosus)
Cape York Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus halli (split from Mormopterus loriae)
Peters' Wrinkle-lipped or Goblin Bat Mormopterus jugularis
Kalinowski's Mastiff Bat Mormopterus kalinowskii
Southwestern Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus kitcheneri (split from Mormopterus planiceps)
Loria's Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus loriae
North Australian Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus lumsdenae (split from Mormopterus beccarii)
Little Goblin Bat Mormopterus minutus
East-coast Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus norfolkensis
Incan Little Mastiff Bat Mormopterus phrudus
Southern Free-tailed Bat Mormopterus planiceps

 

Tadarida
Eight species, of which two species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Mexican or Brazilian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida brasiliensis
Nine subspecies: antillularum, bahamensis, brasiliensis, constanzae, cynocephala, intermedia, mexicana, murina, muscula


Photo by @Najade of a wild-caught animal, Paraguay (subspecies brasiliensis)


Brasilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) - ZooChat


Photo by @Giant Eland at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience, USA (presumably the subspecies mexicana, which occurs in California)


2014 Lindsay Wildlife Museum | ZooChat


East Asian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida insignis
Probably monotypic - formerly treated as a subspecies of Tadarida teniotis


Photo by @RatioTile at Asa Zoo, Japan


East Asian Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida insignis) - ZooChat



The remaining six species are not represented in the Zoochat galleries:


Egyptian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida aegyptiaca
Madagascan Large Free-tailed Bat Tadarida fulminans
La Touche's Free-tailed Bat Tadarida latouchei
Kenyan Big-eared Free-tailed Bat Tadarida lobata
European Free-tailed Bat Tadarida teniotis
African Giant Free-tailed Bat Tadarida ventralis