The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Bats

None of the remaining genera in the family Molossidae are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Cheiromeles
Two species

Lesser Naked Bat Cheiromeles parvidens
Greater Naked Bat Cheiromeles torquatus


Molossops
Four species

Equatorial Dog-faced Bat Molossops aequatorianus
Mato Grosso Dog-faced Bat Molossops mattogrossensis
Rufous Dog-faced Bat Molossops neglectus
Dwarf Dog-faced Bat Molossops temminckii


Mops
Sixteen species

Bakari's Free-tailed Bat Mops bakarii
Sierra Leone Free-tailed Bat Mops brachypterus
Angolan Free-tailed Bat Mops condylurus
Medje Free-tailed Bat Mops congicus
Mongalla Free-tailed Bat Mops demonstrator
Madagascan White-bellied Free-tailed Bat Mops leucostigma
Midas Free-tailed Bat Mops midas
Malayan Free-tailed Bat Mops mops
Dwarf Free-tailed Bat Mops nanulus
Niangara Free-tailed Bat Mops niangarae
White-bellied Free-tailed Bat Mops niveiventer
Peterson's Free-tailed Bat Mops petersoni
Sulawesi Free-tailed Bat Mops sarasinorum
Spurrell's Free-tailed Bat Mops spurrelli
Railer Free-tailed Bat Mops thersites
Trevor's Free-tailed Bat Mops trevori


Myopterus
Two species

Daubenton's Free-tailed Bat Myopterus daubentonii
Bini Free-tailed Bat Myopterus whitleyi


Nyctinomops
Four species

Peale's Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops aurispinosus
Pocketed Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops femorosaccus
Broad-eared Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops laticaudatus
Big Free-tailed Bat Nyctinomops macrotis


Otomops
Eight species

Javan Giant Mastiff Bat Otomops formosus
Harrison's Free-tailed Bat Otomops harrisoni
Johnstone's Giant Mastiff Bat Otomops johnstonei
Madagascar Free-tailed Bat Otomops madagascariensis
Large-eared Free-tailed Bat Otomops martiensseni
Papuan Free-tailed or Big-eared Mastiff Bat Otomops papuensis
Mantled Free-tailed or Mastiff Bat Otomops secundus
Wroughton's Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni


Platymops
One species

Peters' Flat-headed Bat Platymops setiger


Promops
Three species

Big crested Mastiff Bat Promops centralis
Davison's Mastiff Bat Promops davisoni
Brown Mastiff Bat Promops nasutus


Sauromys
One species

Roberts' Flat-headed Bat Sauromys petrophilus


Tomopeas
One species

Blunt-eared Bat Tomopeas ravus

 

Family EMBALLONURIDAE
Sheath-tailed Bats

About fifty-five species in fourteen genera: Balantiopteryx, Centronycteris, Coleura, Cormura, Cyttarops, Diclidurus, Mosia, Paremballonura, Peropteryx, Rhynchonycteris, Saccolaimus, Saccopteryx, Taphozous


There are seventeen species in the Zoochat galleries, representing twelve genera: Balantiopteryx, Centronycteris, Coleura, Cormura, Cyttarops, Diclidurus, Emballonura, Peropteryx, Rhynchonycteris, Saccolaimus, Saccopteryx, Taphozous.

 

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


Grey Sac-winged Bat Balantiopteryx plicata
Two subspecies: pallida, plicata


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


gray sac-winged bat (Balantiopteryx plicata) - ZooChat


The other two species in the genus are as follows:

Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat Balantiopteryx infusca
Thomas's Sac-winged Bat Balantiopteryx io


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


Thomas' Shaggy Bat Centronycteris centralis
Monotypic


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica.


Thomas's shaggy bat (Centronycteris centralis) - ZooChat


The second species in the genus is the Common Shaggy Bat Centronycteris maximiliani.


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


African Sheath-tailed Bat Ceoleura afra
Three subspecies (afra, gallarum, nilosa) but they are poorly defined.


Photo by @ThylacineAlive in the wild, Kenya.


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/african-sheath-tailed-bat.675629/#media


The other two species in the genus are as follows:

Madagascan Sheath-tailed Bat Coleura kibomalandy
Seychelles Sheath-tailed Bat Coleura seychellensis

 

Cormura
One species


Chestnut Sac-winged Bat Cormura brevirostris
Monotypic


Photo by @devilfish in the wild, Peru


Chestnut sac-winged bat, Peruvian Amazon, May 2016 | ZooChat


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica


chestnut sac-winged bat (Cormura brevirostris) - ZooChat


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Cyttarops
One species


Short-eared Bat Cyttarops alecto
Monotypic


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica


short-eared bat (Cyttarops alecto) - ZooChat

 

Diclidurus
Four or five species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Northern Ghost Bat Diclidurus albus
Two subspecies: albus, virgo. The latter may be separable as a full species.


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


northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus) - ZooChat


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


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/northern-ghost-bat-diclidurus-albus.687095/



The other species in the genus are as follows:

Greater Ghost Bat Diclidurus ingens
Isabelle's Ghost Bat Diclidurus isabella
Lesser Ghost Bat Diclidurus scutatus

 

Emballonura
Eight species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Lesser Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura monticola
Monotypic


Photo by @ronnienl in the wild, Malaysia


Lesser Sheath-tailed Bat - Taman Negara - ZooChat



The remaining species in the genus are not represented here:

Small Asian Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura alecto
Beccari's Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura beccarii
Large-eared Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura dianae
New Guinea or Greater Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura furax
Raffray's Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura raffrayana
Pacific Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura semicaudata
Seri's Sheath-tailed Bat Emballonura serii

 

Peropteryx
Five species, two of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Greater Dog-like Bat Peropteryx kappleri
Two subspecies: intermedius, kappleri


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


greater dog-like bat (Peropteryx kappleri) | ZooChat



Lesser Dog-like Bat Peropteryx macrotis
Monotypic


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/lesser-doglike-bat-peropteryx-macrotis.687098/



The remaining species in the genus are not represented here:

White-winged Dog-like Bat Peropteryx leucoptera
Pale-winged Dog-like Bat Peropteryx pallidoptera
Trinidad Dog-like Bat Peropteryx trinitatis

 

Rhynchonycteris
One species



Long-nosed or Proboscis Bat Rhynchonycteris naso
Monotypic


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/proboscis-bat-rhynchonycteris-naso.686937/


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica, showing the size.


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/proboscis-bat-rhynchonycteris-naso.686931/


Photo by @ralph in the wild, Costa Rica, depicting their typical roosting behaviour.


Proboscis bats (Rhynchonycteris naso) | ZooChat

 

Saccolaimus
Four species, of which two species are represented in the Zoochat galleries (one only by a museum specimen).


Yellow-bellied Sheath-tailed Bat Saccolaimus flaviventris
Monotypic


Photo by @WhistlingKite24 at the Queensland Museum, Australia (taxidermy specimen)


Yellow-bellied Sheath-tailed Bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris) - ZooChat


Bare-rumped Sheath-tailed Bat Saccolaimus saccolaimus
Five subspecies: affinis, crassus, nudicluniatus, pluto, saccolaimus

Also known as Naked-rumped Pouched Bat or Pouched Tomb Bat.


Photo by @Najade at Territory Wildlife Park, Australia (Melanesian/Australian subspecies nudicluniatus)


Bare-rumped Sheath-tail Bat (Saccolaimus saccolaimus) | ZooChat




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


Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat (or Troughton's Pouched Bat) Saccolaimus mixtus

Pel's Sheath-tailed (or Pouched) Bat Saccolaimus peli

 

Saccopteryx
Five species, of which two species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Greater Sac-winged Bat Saccopteryx bilineata
At least four subspecies have been named (bilineata, centralis, insignis, perspicillifer), although it is now generally considered to be monotypic.


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica


greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata) | ZooChat


Photo by @devilfish in the wild, Peru


Greater sac-winged bat, Peruvian Amazon, May 2016 | ZooChat


Lesser Sac-winged Bat Saccopteryx leptura
Monotypic


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Costa Rica


lesser sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx leptura) | ZooChat



The remaining species are not represented in the Zoochat galleries:


Antioquia Sac-winged Bat Saccopteryx antioquensis (known from only two specimens)
Frosted Sac-winged Bat Saccopteryx canescens
Amazonian Sac-winged Bat Saccopteryx gymnura

 

Taphozous
Fourteen species, of which three species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Coastal Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous australis
Monotypic, although T. georgianus was formerly included within the species.


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Australia


Coastal Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous australis) | ZooChat


Black-bearded Tomb Bat Taphozous melanopogon
Four or five subspecies normally given over the large range (bicolor, cavaticus, fretensis, melanopogon, philippensis) but usage and distributions are inconsistent.


Photo by @ralph in the wild, Thailand


Black-bearded tomb bat (Taphozous melanopogon) - ZooChat


Naked-rumped Tomb Bat Taphozous nudiventris
Five subspecies: kachhensis, magnus, nudaster, nudiventris, zayidi


Photo by @Chlidonias in the wild, India (subspecies kachhensis)


Naked-rumped Tomb Bats (Taphozous nudiventris) | ZooChat



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


Indonesian Tomb Bat Taphozous achates
Common Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous georgianus
Hamilton's Tomb Bat Taphozous hamiltoni
Hildegarde's Tomb Bat Taphozous hildegardeae
Hill's Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous hilli
Arnhemland Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous kapalgensis
Long-winged Tomb Bat Taphozous longimanus
Mauritian Tomb Bat Taphozous mauritianus
Egyptian or Geoffroy's Tomb Bat Taphozous perforatus
Theobald's Tomb Bat Taphozous theobaldi
Troughton's Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous troughtoni

 

The remaining two genera in the family Emballonuridae are not yet represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Mosia
One species (formerly in Emballonura)

Dark or Lesser Sheath-tailed Bat Mosia nigrescens


Paremballonura
Two species (formerly in Emballonura)

West Madagascan Sheath-tailed Bat Paremballonura tiavato
Peters' or East Madagascan Sheath-tailed Bat Paremballonura atrata

 

Family NYCTERIDAE
Slit-faced Bats

About 16 species in the single genus Nycteris.


Three species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.




Hairy Slit-faced Bat Nycteris hispida
Monotypic. Often divided into two subspecies (hispida and pallida) but there is no discernible difference between populations. The latter subspecies was described from Central Africa. The species N. aurita was formerly also treated as a subspecies of N. hispida.


Photo by @ThylacineAlive in the wild, Kenya


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/hairy-slit-faced-bat.675619/


Large-eared Slit-faced Bat Nycteris macrotis
Four subspecies are usually recognised (aethiopica, luteola, macrotis, oriana), but some authors consider there to be only two subspecies - macrotis in the rainforest zones and aethiopica in the savannah zones (this latter would then contain luteola and oriana).


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, Zambia (subspecies oriana)


large-eared slit-faced bat (Nycteris macrotis) - ZooChat


Common Slit-faced Bat Nycteris thebaica
Six subspecies: adana, albiventer, capensis, damarensis, najdiya, thebaica


Both photos below by @Maguari in the wild, Botswana (subspecies capensis I think)


Common Slit-faced Bat, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana, 30/04/16 - ZooChat



Common Slit-faced Bat, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana, 30/04/16 - ZooChat




The remaining species in the genus are as below:

Bate's Slit-faced Bat Nycteris arge
Andersen's Slit-faced Bat Nycteris aurita
Gambian Slit-faced Bat Nycteris gambiensis
Large Slit-faced Bat Nycteris grandis
Intermediate Slit-faced Bat Nycteris intermedia
Javan Slit-faced Bat Nycteris javanica
Malagasy Slit-faced Bat Nycteris madagascariensis
Dja Slit-faced Bat Nycteris major
Dwarf Slit-faced Bat Nycteris nana
Malayan Slit-faced Bat Nycteris tragata
Parisi' Slit-faced Bat Nycteris parisii
Vinson's Slit-faced Bat Nycteris vinsoni
Wood's Slit-faced Bat Nycteris woodi

 

Family VESPERTILIONIDAE
Vesper Bats or Evening Bats

About 455 species in about 51 genera.

There are 60 species from 19 genera represented in the Zoochat galleries. Six of the species are depicted only as taxidermy specimens.


The family is divided into four (or more) subfamilies, which I have listed below with their component genera.


Vespertilioninae
Vesper Bats or Evening Bats
(Including Nyctophilinae and Antrozoinae)

About 285 species in about 43 genera: Antrozous, Arielulus, Barbastella, Bauerus, Chalinolobus, Corynorhinus, Eptesicus, Euderma, Eudiscopus, Falsistrellus, Glauconycteris, Glischropus, Hesperoptenus, Histiotus, Hypsugo, Ia, Idionycteris, Laephotis, Lasiurus, Mimetillus, Neoromicia, Niumbaha, Nyctalus, Nycticeinops, Nycticeius, Nyctophilus, Otonycteris, Parastrellus, Perimyotis, Pharotis, Philetor, Pipistrellus, Plecotus, Rhogeessa, Scoteanax, Scotoecus, Scotomanes, Scotophilus, Scotorepens, Scotozous, Tylonycteris, Vespadelus, Vespertilio

There are 36 species in the Zoochat galleries (four depicted only as taxidermy specimens), representing 15 genera: Antrozous, Barbastella, Chalinolobus, Eptesicus, Lasiurus, Nyctalus, Nycticeius, Nyctophilus, Perimyotis, Pipistrellus, Plecotus, Rhogeessa, Scotorepens, Vespadelus, Vespertilio.


Murininae
Tube-nosed Insectivorous Bats

About 31 species in three genera: Harpiocephalus, Harpiola, Murina

No species from this subfamily are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Myotinae
Mouse-eared Bats

About 115 species in three genera: Cistugo, Lasionycteris, Myotis

There are only 22 species in the Zoochat galleries, one depicted only as a taxidermy specimen, but representing all three genera.


Kerivoulinae
Woolly Bats

About 26 species in two genera: Kerivoula, Phoniscus

Only two species are represented in the Zoochat galleries, both of the genus Kerivoula, albeit with one only as a taxidermy specimen.

 

Subfamily VESPERTILIONINAE
(Including Nyctophilinae and Antrozoinae)

About 285 species in about 43 genera: Antrozous, Arielulus, Barbastella, Bauerus, Chalinolobus, Corynorhinus, Eptesicus, Euderma, Eudiscopus, Falsistrellus, Glauconycteris, Glischropus, Hesperoptenus, Histiotus, Hypsugo, Ia, Idionycteris, Laephotis, Lasiurus, Mimetillus, Neoromicia, Niumbaha, Nyctalus, Nycticeinops, Nycticeius, Nyctophilus, Otonycteris, Parastrellus, Perimyotis, Pharotis, Philetor, Pipistrellus, Plecotus, Rhogeessa, Scoteanax, Scotoecus, Scotomanus, Scotophilus, Scotorepens, Scotozous, Tylonycteris, Vespadelus, Vespertilio

Thirty-six species from fifteen genera are represented in the Zoochat galleries (Antrozous, Barbastella, Chalinolobus, Eptesicus, Lasiurus, Nyctalus, Nycticeius, Nyctophilus, Perimyotis, Pipistrellus, Plecotus, Rhogeessa, Scotorepens, Vespadelus, Vespertilio). Four of those species are depicted only as taxidermy specimens.

 

Antrozous
One species


Pallid Bat Antrozous pallidus
Seven subspecies: bunkeri, koopmani, minor, obscurus, pacificus, packardi, pallidus


Both photos below by @Giant Eland at Fort Worth Zoo, USA (unknown subspecies)


pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) | ZooChat



pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) | ZooChat

 

Barbastella
Two or three species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Western Barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus
Two subspecies: barbastellus and guanchae


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Switzerland (subspecies barbastellus)


Western Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) - ZooChat



The other two species in the genus are:

Beijing Barbastelle Barbastella beijingensis (described in 2007 from Beijing, but it doesn't appear to be recognised by most authorities)

Asian Barbastelle Barbastella leucomelas

 

Chalinolobus
Seven species, two of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries (one of them only by a museum specimen).


Gould's Wattled Bat Chalinolobus gouldii
Probably monotypic. The subspecies venatoris is considered invalid. The subspecies neocaledonicus has been split as a full species.


Photo by @Najade of a wild animal, Australia

Gould's Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) | ZooChat


New Zealand Long-tailed Bat Chalinolobus tuberculatus
Two unnamed subspecies (North Island and South Island)


Photo by @Chlidonias at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand (taxidermy specimen of a North Island animal)


NZ Long-tailed Bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) - ZooChat



There are five other species in the genus:

Large-eared Pied Bat Chalinolobus dwyeri
Chocolate Wattled Bat Chalinolobus morio
New Caledonia Wattled Bat Chalinolobus neocaledonicus
Hoary Wattled Bat Chalinolobus nigrogriseus
Little Pied Bat Chalinolobus picatus

 

Eptesicus
About 26 species, only five of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries (with one only as a taxidermy specimen).



Diminutive Serotine Eptesicus diminutus
Two subspecies: diminutus and fidelis


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Paraguay (subspecies fidelis)


Diminutive Brown Bat (Eptesicus diminutus) - ZooChat



Argentine Brown Bat Eptesicus furinalis
Up to seven subspecies: carteri, chapmani, chiralensis, findleyi, furinalis, gaumeri, montosus


Photo by @Najade in the wild, Costa Rica (subspecies carteri or gaumeri, depending on taxonomy)


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/argentine-brown-bat-eptesicus-furinalis.687146/



Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus
Twelve subspecies: bahamensis, bernardinus, dutertreus, fuscus, hispaniolae, lynni, miradorensis, osceola, pallidus, peninsulae, petersoni, wetmorei


Photo by @Giant Eland at the Virginia Living Museum, USA (probably the subspecies fuscus which is the one found in the eastern USA)


2013: Virginia Living Museum | ZooChat



Long-tailed House Bat Eptesicus hottentotus
Three or four subspecies generally recognised: bensoni, hottentotus, pallidior, portavernus


Photo by @Giant Eland in the wild, South Africa (subspecies hottentotus)


Long-tailed Serotines (Eptesicus hottentotus) - ZooChat



Common Serotine Epetsicus serotinus
Multiple subspecies have been described. The southern E. isabellinus and eastern E. pachyomus have since been split as full species (including several other subspecies themselves). There are about four subspecies left in E. serotinus - boscai, pashtonus, serotinus, turcomanus.


Photo by @vogelcommando at Natuurmuseum Brabant, Netherlands (taxidermy specimen of the European subspecies serotinus)


Serotine bat - Eptesicus serotinus - ZooChat



There are about 20 other species in the genus:

Little Black Serotine Eptesicus andinus
Bobrinski's Serotine Eptesicus bobrinskoi
Botta's Serotine Eptesicus bottae
Brazilian Brown Bat Eptesicus brasiliensis
Chiriquinan Serotine Eptesicus chiriquinus
Surat Serotine Eptesicus dimissus
Horn-skinned Bat Eptesicus floweri
Gobi Big Brown Bat Eptesicus gobiensis
Guadeloupe Big Brown Bat Eptesicus guadeloupensis
Harmless Serotine Eptesicus innoxius
Meridional Serotine Eptesicus isabellinus
Japanese Short-tailed Bat Eptesicus japonensis
Kobayashi's Bat Eptesicus kobayashii
Ukraine Serotine Eptesicus lobatus
Sind Bat Eptesicus nasutus
Northern Bat Eptesicus nilssonii
Oriental Serotine Eptesicus pachyomus
Thick-eared Bat Eptesicus pachyotis
Lagos Serotine Eptesicus platyops
Tadde's Bat Eptesicus taddeii
Sombre Bat Eptesicus tatei

 

Lasiurus
About twenty species, four of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.

The genus may be split into three, although this has not generally been followed as there seems to be little grounds for doing so: Aeorestes (Hoary Bats) for cinereus and egregius; Dasypterus (Yellow Bats) for ega, insularis, intermedius and xanthinus; and Lasiurus (Red Bats) for all the remaining species.



Eastern Red Bat Lasiurus borealis
Monotypic, although many of the other species currently recognised were treated as subspecies in the past, including blossevillii, brachyotis, degelidus, minor, pfeifferi and seminolus.


Photo by @Giant Eland at Pennsylvania Bat Rescue (USA) (eating a mealworm)


eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) - ZooChat



Hoary Bat Lasiurus cinereus
Three subspecies, which are sometimes treated as three separate species: cinereus, semotus, villosissimus


Both photos below by @Giant Eland at Pennsylvania Bat Rescue (USA) (the North American subspecies cinereus)


hoary bat (Aeorestes cinereus) - ZooChat


hoary bat (Aeorestes cinereus) - ZooChat



Southern Yellow Bat
Five subspecies: caudatus, ega, fuscatus, panamensis, xanthinus


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


https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/southern-yellow-bat-dasypterus-ega.686929/



Seminole Bat Lasiurus seminolus
Monotypic. Formerly treated as a subspecies of the Eastern Red Bat L. borealis.


Photo by @Giant Eland at Pennsylvania Bat Rescue (USA)


Seminole bat (Lasiurus seminolus) - ZooChat



The remaining species in the genus are as follows:


Guianan Red Bat Lasiurus atratus
Desert Red Bat Lasiurus blossevillii
Galapagos Red Bat Lasiurus brachyotis (usually treated as a subspecies of L. borealis)
Tacarcuna Bat Lasiurus castaneus
Jamaican Red Bat Lasiurus degelidus
Hairy-tailed Bat Lasiurus ebenus
Big Red Bat Lasiurus egregius
Cuban Yellow Bat Lasiurus insularis
Northern Yellow Bat Lasiurus intermedius
Lesser Red Bat Lasiurus minor
Pfeiffer's Red Bat Lasiurus pfeifferi
Salina's Red Bat Lasiurus salinae
Cinnamon Red Bat Lasiurus varius
Western Yellow Bat Lasiurus xanthinus