WMiniopterus, known as the bent-winged or long winged bats, is the sole genus of the family Miniopteridae. They are small flying insectivorous mammals, micro-bats of the order Chiroptera, with wings over twice the length of the body. The genus had been placed in its own subfamily among the vespertilionid bats, as Miniopterinae, but is now classified as its own family.
WThe common bent-wing bat, Schreibers's long-fingered bat, or Schreibers's bat refers to a species of insectivorous bat, a taxonomic complex of subspecies and probably several species in the family Miniopteridae currently named as Miniopterus schreibersii. They appear to have dispersed from a subtropical origin and distributed throughout the southern Palearctic, Ethiopic, Oriental, and Australian regions. In Europe, it is present in the southern half on the continent from Iberia to the Caucasus, with the largest populations found in the warmer Mediterranean area. The common and scientific names honor Carl Franz Anton Ritter von Schreibers.
WThe eastern bent-wing bat, is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in South Asia, Far-east Asia, the east Caucasus Mountains and also in Southeast Asian regions.
WGlen's long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae and it belongs to the class Mammalia. It is found only in Madagascar.
WThe greater long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. It roosts in caves.
WGriffith's long-fingered bat is a bat in the genus Miniopterus which occurs in southern Madagascar. M. griffithsi was previously a part of the largest family of bats, the Vespertilionidae, which consist of 5 subfamilies. The bat family Miniopteridae is widely distributed, ranging from the majority of sub-Sahara Africa to north Africa and Eurasia, as well as southern and southeastern Asia and Australia. Typical features of these bats include elongated third fingers, long narrow wings giving them a pointed shape when in flight, and a bent shape when folded, adding to the common name of bent-wing bats. M. griffithsi is similar to its sister species Miniopterus gleni, which lives north of the Onilahy River, while M. giffithsi lives south of it. Researchers first discovered that M. griffithsi was separate from M. gleni based on phylogeographic studies of M. gleni.
WThe little bent-wing bat or little long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Miniopteridae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vanuatu.
WMajor's long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found only in Madagascar. It is similar to M. schreibersi of Africa, differing by having a shorter forearm, slightly longer digits and a narrow box-shaped skull. The pelage is often a greyish brown colour, and the tragus is kidney-shaped and is a prominent feature. The species was named in honor of Swiss zoologist C. I. Forsyth Major.
WThe Manavi long-fingered bat is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in east-central Madagascar. First described in 1906, this species was later included in the mainland African M. minor. A 1995 revision united populations of small Miniopterus from Madagascar and the Comoros as M. manavi, but molecular and morphological studies in 2008 and 2009 showed that this concept of M. manavi in fact included five different species. M. manavi itself was restricted to a few locations in the eastern Central Highlands and populations in the Comoros and northern and western Madagascar were allocated to different species.
WMiniopterus aelleni is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs on Anjouan in the Comoros and in northern and western Madagascar.
WMiniopterus brachytragos is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in northern and western Madagascar. Populations of this species have historically been included in Miniopterus manavi, but molecular data published in 2008 and 2009 indicate this supposed species in fact consists of five separate species, including the newly described M. brachytragos. Up to four species of this group may occur in the same place. M. brachytragos has been found in dry and wet forests from sea level to 320 m (1,050 ft) altitude.
WMiniopterus griveaudi is a bat in the genus Miniopterus found on Grande Comore and Anjouan in the Comoros and in northern and western Madagascar. First described in 1959 from Grande Comore as a subspecies of the mainland African M. minor, it was later placed with the Malagasy M. manavi. However, morphological and molecular studies published in 2008 and 2009 indicated that M. manavi as then defined contained five distinct, unrelated species, and M. griveaudi was redefined as a species occurring on both Madagascar and the Comoros.
WMiniopterus macrocneme is a bat in the genus Miniopterus. It is found primarily in the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia, though it is also found in New Guinea. It has been considered a subspecies of Miniopterus pusillus in recent years. It lives in caves in large numbers, though it can also be found in forests.
WMiniopterus mahafaliensis is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in southwestern Madagascar. Populations of this species have historically been included in Miniopterus manavi, but molecular data published in 2008 and 2009 indicate that this supposed species in fact consists of five separate species, including the newly described M. mahafaliensis. The species has been found in dry, spiny, and gallery forest, as well as more open habitats, in southwestern Madagascar.
WMiniopterus sororculus is a species of bat endemic to the highland forests of Madagascar.
WPeterson's long-fingered bat is a bat in the genus Miniopterus which occurs in southeast Madagascar. It was described by Steven M. Goodman et al. in 2008. While M. petersoni is similar to M. sororculus, the two species are not closely related to each other, and possess a number of differing external and cranial characteristics.
WThe Philippine long-fingered bat is a species of bat from the family Miniopteridae. The species is listed as "Data Deficient" on the IUCN Red List due to lack of information about population, ecology, distribution, and threats. The Philippine long-fingered bat is native to Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste. Due to the dubious taxonomic status of the Philippine long-fingered bat, it has been suggested that the species remain classified as a subspecies of the little bent-wing bat.
WThe southern bent-wing bat is one of two subspecies of the Australasian bent-wing bat. Its population size has declined rapidly since the 1950s, and it is classified as critically endangered by the Australian government.