Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat families, specialised in many forms to occupy a range of habitats and ecological circumstances, and it is frequently observed or the subject of research. The facial features of the species are often simple, as they mainly rely on vocally emitted echolocation. The tails of the species are enclosed by the lower flight membranes between the legs. Over 300 species are distributed all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. It owes its name to the genus Vespertilio, which takes its name from a word for bat, vespertilio, derived from the Latin term vesper meaning 'evening'; they are termed "evening bats" and were once referred to as "evening birds".
The New Guinea big-eared bat or Papuan big-eared bat,, is a vesper bat endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to ongoing habitat loss. It is the only known member of the genus Pharotis, which is closely related to Nyctophilus.
The Alpine long-eared bat or mountain long-eared bat is a species of long-eared bat. It was originally described from Switzerland and Austria as a species intermediate between the brown long-eared bat and the grey long-eared bat in 1965. It was later described in 2002, from France and Austria, respectively. Despite its name, this species is not restricted to the Alps, being found in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and elsewhere. It differs from other European long-eared bats, such as the brown long-eared bat, by its white underparts.
Gould's long-eared bat is a microbat found in southern regions of Australia. It occurs in eastern Australia, from Queensland to Victoria, and in a smaller isolated range in the south-west of Western Australia.
The Argentine brown bat, is a bat species from South and Central America.
Eptesicus is a genus of bats, commonly called house bats or serotine bats, in the family Vespertilionidae. The genus name is likely derived from the Greek words ptetikos 'able to fly' or petomai 'house flier', although this is not certain.
The Humboldt big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
The big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat found in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile.
The small big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It can be found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Christie's long-eared bat, also known as the Egyptian long-eared bat, Christie's big-eared bat, or gray long-eared bat, is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is known from North Africa and the Middle East. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, rocky areas, and hot deserts.
The southwestern myotis is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States.
The blunt-eared bat or Peruvian crevice-dwelling bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is monotypic within the genus Tomopeas and subfamily Tomopeatinae. It is endemic to Peru, where it is considered critically endangered. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Histiotus is a genus of South American vesper bats with species that include:
The Vespertilioninae are a subfamily of vesper bats from the family Vespertilionidae.
The southern big-eared brown bat is a species of bat from the family Vespertilionidae. Although current taxonomy treats the southern big-eared brown bat as a separate species, it is often treated as a subspecies of the small big-eared brown bat. It lives in the forests of southern Argentina and Chile; though the population of the bat in the southern part of its habitat is low, there are no major concerns to justify anything lower than a Least Concern rating in the IUCN Red List.
The western round-eared bat is a bat species found only on the Pacific coast of northwestern Ecuador.
Thomas's big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat found in South America.
Eptescini is a tribe of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. This tribe has a cosmopolitan distribution.
