| Miniopterus maghrebensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Miniopteridae |
| Genus: | Miniopterus |
| Species: | M. maghrebensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Miniopterus maghrebensis Puechmaille et al, 2014 [2] | |
Miniopterus maghrebensis, also known as the Maghrebian bent-wing bat, is a species of bat found in North Africa.
The description as a new species was published in 2014, separating a population previously assigned to the species Miniopterus schreibersii . The cryptic species within the M. schreibersii population was distinguished by characteristics of the cranium and dentition and molecular evidence of a distinct phylogeny. [2]
A species of Miniopterus , known as bent or long winged bats, closely resembling M. schreibersii in its superficial characteristics of morphology and acoustic signals. [2] The species enters a state of torpor in winter months, allowed by the fat reserves stored in the body during the preceding months. [1]
Miniopterus maghrebensis occurs in North Africa, associated in the name to the Maghreb region. The distribution range extends from Tunisia to the west, south of the Atlas Mountains, through Algeria and Morocco. They have been found in dry forest and shrubland associated with a Mediterranean climate, and known to inhabit caves. The number of locations within this range is limited to a few known sites, perhaps extending to suitable habit in other Mediterranean regions. [1]
The species is sympatric with M. schreibersii at near coastal regions of the African continent. [2]
The IUCN Red List classifies this species as near threatened by extinction, and trajectory of the population as unknown. Primary threatening factors are loss of the extent and quality of natural habitat. The use of caves and other subterranean habitats for daytime roosts and extended periods of hibernation has exposed the species to interruption by human activity. The use of pesticides for agriculture and forestry may also be a threatening factor to the species population. [1]
The lesser long-fingered bat, also known as the black clinging bat or lesser bent-winged bat, is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
The common bent-wing bat, also known as the Schreibers's long-fingered bat or Schreibers's bat, is a species of insectivorous bat. 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.
Geoffroy's horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, caves, subterranean habitats, and hot deserts.
Mehely's horseshoe bat is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East. It is distributed in a narrow band around the Mediterranean Sea from North-Western Africa across Portugal, Spain, the Balearics, southern France, Sardinia, Sicily and the Balkan Peninsula to Asia Minor.
Miniopterus, 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.
Miniopterus 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.
Griffith'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.
The 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.
Miniopterus sororculus is a species of bat endemic to the highland forests of Madagascar.
Miniopterus pallidus, the pale bent-wing bat, is a species of bat found in Middle-East. Until 2010, it was considered as a sub-species of M. schreibersii.
