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Chiroptera

Chiroptera generally refers to bats, which are the only mammals that can truly fly; in addition to the characteristics of general mammals, they also have a series of morphological characteristics adapted to flight. Bats have strong flying abilities and are also natural hosts for a variety of zoonotic viruses, capable of carrying dozens of viruses. Bats can be divided into two suborders, with a total of 16 families, 185 genera, and 962 species worldwide, and about 7 families, 30 genera, and 120 species in China.

I. Introduction to Chiroptera

1. General Characteristics:

  • Forelimbs Modified into Wings: Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained, flapping flight. Their elongated fingers support a wing membrane (patagium).

  • Echolocation (Most Species): While most microbats use echolocation to navigate and hunt insects, fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) generally rely more on their well-developed vision and smell, with little or no echolocation.

  • Diverse Diets: Bats occupy a wide range of dietary niches—many are insectivorous, while others consume fruit, nectar, pollen, small vertebrates, fish, and even blood.

  • Ecological Importance: As pollinators, seed dispersers, and insect controllers, bats play vital ecological roles and contribute to the balance of various ecosystems.

2. Diversity and Abundance:

  • With over 1,400 described species, Chiroptera is the second-largest order of mammals after Rodentia.

  • Bats are nearly cosmopolitan, found worldwide except in polar regions and some isolated oceanic islands.


II. Evolutionary History

1. Origin and Fossil Record:

  • The earliest known bat fossils date back to the early Eocene, about 52 million years ago.

  • Fossils indicate that early bats were already well-adapted for flight, sharing key skeletal features with modern bats.

2. Biogeographic Radiation:

  • As continents shifted and climates changed, bats dispersed worldwide and diversified.

  • Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae) specialized in frugivory and nectarivory, while New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) display a wide range of feeding adaptations (fruits, nectar, insects, blood).

3. Molecular Insights and Revised Classification:

  • Traditionally, bats were split into Megachiroptera ("fruit bats") and Microchiroptera ("microbats"). However, molecular studies showed that this division is not strictly reflective of evolutionary relationships.

  • Current molecular phylogenies divide bats into two major suborders: Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera. Yinpterochiroptera includes the fruit bats and several echolocating families, whereas Yangochiroptera includes the majority of the echolocating bat lineages.


III. Classification Overview

Order Chiroptera

Suborder Yinpterochiroptera

FamilyRepresentative Genera/SpeciesNotes
Pteropodidae (Old World fruit bats)Pteropus (flying foxes)Primarily frugivorous/nectarivorous, rely on vision and smell; mainly in Old World tropics.
Rhinolophidae (Horseshoe bats)RhinolophusCharacteristic horseshoe-shaped noseleaf; echolocating insectivores in the Old World.
Hipposideridae (Leaf-nosed bats)HipposiderosSimilar to Rhinolophidae, echolocation via noseleaf structures, Old World distribution.
Rhinonycteridae (Trident and related bats)Triaenops and relativesOld World leaf-nosed bats closely related to Rhinolophidae and Hipposideridae.
Megadermatidae (False vampire bats)MegadermaSome species feed on small vertebrates; tailless, Old World distribution.
Craseonycteridae (Kitti’s hog-nosed bat)Craseonycteris thonglongyaiOne of the world’s smallest mammals, found in Thailand and Myanmar.

Suborder Yangochiroptera

FamilyRepresentative Genera/SpeciesNotes
Emballonuridae (Sheath-tailed bats)Taphozous (sac-winged bats)Possess wing sacs; insectivorous.
Nycteridae (Slit-faced bats)Nycteris (slit-faced bats)Complex nose structures, Old World insectivores.
Myzopodidae (Sucker-footed bats)MyzopodaEndemic to Madagascar; have suction cups on thumbs and ankles.
Mystacinidae (New Zealand short-tailed bats)Mystacina tuberculataUnique terrestrial foraging habits, endemic to New Zealand.
Thyropteridae (Disk-winged bats)ThyropteraSuction-cup structures on wings for clinging to leaves, Neotropical.
Furipteridae (Smoky bats)Furipterus horrensReduced thumbs enclosed in wing membrane, Neotropical.
Noctilionidae (Bulldog or Fishing bats)Noctilio (bulldog bats)Some species catch fish; found in the New World.
Mormoopidae (Mustached and Ghost-faced bats)Mormoops, PteronotusComplex facial folds, insectivorous, New World.
Phyllostomidae (New World leaf-nosed bats)Desmodus (vampire bats), Glossophaga (nectar-feeding)Diverse diets: fruits, nectar, insects, blood; Neotropical.
Natalidae (Funnel-eared bats)NatalusFunnel-shaped ears, found from Mexico to South America.
Molossidae (Free-tailed bats)Molossus, Tadarida brasiliensisStrong fliers, tail extends beyond tail membrane, cosmopolitan.
Vespertilionidae (Evening bats)Nyctalus noctula, Lasionycteris noctivagansThe largest family of bats, worldwide distribution, mostly insectivorous.
Miniopteridae (Bent-winged bats)MiniopterusDistinctive wing joints, widely distributed in Old and New Worlds.
Cistugidae (Wing-gland bats)CistugoOnce included in Vespertilionidae, now recognized as a distinct family in Africa.

IV. Summary

Bats represent a remarkable evolutionary success, showcasing adaptations for powered flight, echolocation, and a wide range of feeding habits. Since their Eocene origins, bats have radiated globally to exploit niches from tropical rainforests to deserts. Whether pollinating flowers, dispersing seeds, controlling insect populations, or innovatively feeding on fish or blood, bats illustrate the profound evolutionary creativity that arises over millions of years.

Carnivora Primates Rodents Chiroptera Eulipotyphla Ungulata Cetacea Lagoiformes Pholidota Proboscidea Monotremata
Harpiola isodon

Harpiola isodon

Harpiola isodon

Features:The nostrils are lengthened into short tubes, and the dentition on the side of the head is almost equal in height.

Small bat, distributed domestically in Taiwan and abroad in Vietnam. It is a typical nocturnal forest bat, but its main habitat is not well defined, and a few individuals have been found living in caves. Emits a typical short-duration and wide-band echolocation sound wave, often hunting insects in f...

Murina shuipuensis

Murina shuipuensis

Murina shuipuensis

Features:The nostrils protrude into a short tubular shape with black hairs.

Shuifu tubnosed bat was described by Eger and Lim in 2011 based on a male specimen collected from Shuipu Village, Yuping Town, Libo County, Guizhou, China, at an altitude of 650m.Wang Xiaoyun et al. (2016) reported a new distribution of this species in Guangdong and Jiangxi based on some molecular m...

Murina recondita

Murina recondita

Murina recondita

Features:The nostrils are elongated into short tubes, and the dorsal hairs are golden yellow and mixed with metallic luster hair.

It is a relatively small bat distributed only in Taiwan. Typical nocturnal animal, whose main habitat is unknown, with sporadic use of burrows found. Emits typical short-duration and wide-band echolocation sound waves used to hunt insects in forest glades.Its body length is 34-44mm, its forearms 31-...

Murina puta

Murina puta

Murina puta

Features:The nostrils lengthen into short tubes.

Formosan tubenosed bats are found only in Taiwan. Found using banana dead leaves to roost. Emits typical short-duration and wide-band echolocation sound waves used to hunt insects in forest glades.It is a medium-small bat. Body length 40-53mm, forearm length 33-39mm, tail length 32-46mm. The head ha...

Murina jinchui

Murina jinchui

Murina jinchui

Features:The front end of the nostrils protrudes into a short tube, and the snout is black.

Jinchu tube-nosed bats are small in size and can be distinguished from Northeast tube-nosed bats, white-ventral tube-nosed bats and Fanjingshan tube-nosed bats, which are closely related in phylogenetic analysis. Although similar in size to this species, the first two species have brown-red back hai...

Murina gracilis

Murina gracilis

Murina gracilis

Features:The nostrils are lengthened into short tubes, and the dorsal hairs are covered with metallic hair.

This species is endemic to China. It is only distributed in Taiwan. It is a typical nocturnal arboreal bat, but its habitat is not well understood. It emits a typical short-duration and wide-band echolocation sound wave, which is used to hunt insects in forest glades.It is small, 33-45mm in length,...

Murina feae

Murina feae

Murina feae

Features:The anterior end of the nostrils protrudes into a short tubular shape, and the snout is dark grayish-brown.

Tube-nosed bats are small, with forearms about 29mm long. The front end of the nasal orifice protrudes into a short tubular shape, and the snout is dark grayish-brown. The ears are round and rounded, and the tip of the tragus is long, about half the length of the ear. The base of the dorsal hair is...

Murina fanjingshanensis

Murina fanjingshanensis

Murina fanjingshanensis

Features:The nose is a short tubular protrusion, open to both sides, its rear tubercle protrusion, the nose and the lower lip are hairy.

Fanjingshan Siphonophorus is similar to white-ventral and yellow-thorax siphonophorus, but there are some differences in body length, abdominal hair color, upper incisor and total cranial length. He et al. (2015). The body size of the samples collected from Hunan Province was small. The body length,...

Murina bicolor

Murina bicolor

Murina bicolor

Features:The head is brown, the snout is prominent, and the nostrils are lengthened into short tubes.

The yellow-thorax bat is a medium-sized bat, which is a typical nocturnal animal, and its main habitat is not very clear, which can be seen in the forest clearing to hunt insects. It has been found hibernating in high altitude tunnels during the winter. It emits typical short-duration and wide-band...

Murina aurata

Murina aurata

Murina aurata

Features:The nostrils are tubular, slender and long, and turn upward.

Golden tube-nosed bats are small, with forearms 28-32mm long. The nostrils are tubular, slender and long, and turn upward. The ear shell is wide oval, the posterior margin is not indented, the tragus is narrow, and the end is pointed. The back hairy base is gray black, the tip is golden; The ventral...

Plecotus taivanus

Plecotus taivanus

Plecotus taivanus

Features:The head is brown, the snout is prominent, and the nostrils are large.

Formosan long-eared bats are found only in Taiwan. It is a typical nocturnal animal and has been found to roost in tree holes. Emits a typical short sustained echolocation acoustic wave to detect the environment and prey, and can also listen to the prey to lock and hunt prey on the surface of the le...

Falsistrellus affinis

Falsistrellus affinis

Falsistrellus affinis

Features:The back of the body is brown, the surface is stained white.

Medium size. The ear shell is long and wide, with blunt and rounded ends. The tragus is short, with a concave notch at the base of the outer margin. The alar membrane terminates at the base of the phalanx. The hind feet are smaller. The back of the body is brown, the surface is stained white. The mo...

Thainycteris torquatus

Thainycteris torquatus

Thainycteris torquatus

Features:It is currently only distributed in Taiwan, China.

Yellow-necked bats are currently found only in Taiwan, China. Medium bats are 48-65mm long, 40-50mm long forearms, and 35-48mm long tails. The rostral end of the head is obvious. The base of the dorsal hair is black to dark brown, and the dopant tip has golden hair. A yellow or white band of hair fo...

Thainycteris aureocollaris

Thainycteris aureocollaris

Thainycteris aureocollaris

Features:There is a distinct ochre collar from the base of the ear to the throat.

Ringnecked bats are large, with forearms 47-52mm long; The hind foot is 9-12mm long, about half the length of the tibia. The dorsal hair is lighter than the ventral hair, the base is black, and the tip is ochre yellow, but the tip of the ventral hair is slightly white. There is a distinct ochre coll...

Pipistrellus javanicus abramus

Pipistrellus javanicus abramus

Pipistrellus javanicus abramus

Features:The ears are short and wide.

Pipistrella javanica is a small pipistrella. Hill & Harrison (1987) divided the Phyllopipistrella javanica into two effective species according to the obvious difference of penis bones: the phyllopipistrella javanica has a length of 5.0-5.5mm and its stalk is nearly straight; The penile bone of...

Myotis nipalensis

Myotis nipalensis

Myotis nipalensis

Features:There is a distinct notch at the base of the tragus

The Nepalese Myotis is relatively small, with a forearm length of 34-36.9mm. The inner edge of the ear shell is curved, and there are obvious nicks at 1/4 of the outer base, and there are raised leaves under the notch, almost at right angles to the notch. The tragus is long, lance-shaped, about half...

Submyotodon latirostris

Submyotodon latirostris

Submyotodon latirostris

Features:It is endemic to Taiwan, China

The habitat of the bat is not well known. Using narrow-band, constant-frequency echolocation sound waves to detect prey in the environment....

Myotis frater

Myotis frater

Myotis frater

Features:Tail length equals or slightly exceeds body length

Long-tailed Myotis bats are found in Fujian Province. Allen (1923) named the specimen from Fujian, and Ognev (1927) named the specimen from eastern Siberia <M. longicaudatus> according to the characteristics of tail length slightly exceeding body length. Ellerman &a...

Rhinolophus yunnanensis

Rhinolophus yunnanensis

Rhinolophus yunnanensis

Features:The nose leaves of this species are particularly large (1.3×1.0 cm)

Rhinolophus yunnanensis was published in 1872 by Dobson on the basis of two male and one female specimens collected in Hotha, China (1371.6m above sea level), and later merged into R. pearsonii by himself. Andersen (1905) compared the description and diagram of the species and pearsonii and found th...

Formosan lesser horseshoe bat

Formosan lesser horseshoe bat

Formosan lesser horseshoe bat,Rhinolophus monoceros

Features:The back of the body is brown with reddish tips.

This species is endemic to China, and because of its small size, it will be clustered, and is a typical group of nocturnal animals. Use constant frequency echolocation sound waves to detect prey in the environment.The bats live deep in caves in single or small groups, often hanging upside down by ho...

Rhinolophus formosae

Rhinolophus formosae

Rhinolophus formosae

Features:The lower nasal lobe is horseshoe shaped

It is a solitary bat, with only one or a few individuals found in a tunnel, cave or tree hole. Use constant frequency narrow-band echolocation (constant frequency) sound waves to detect prey in the environment. It is nocturnal and feeds on insects. It lives deeper in the cave....