Bat Classification

Bat Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordate (animals with backbones)
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera (handwinged which are bats) Rodents branch off to Rodentia which shows bats are not rodents (see image below).
Suborder: Megachiroptera (1 family) and Microchiroptera (17 families)
Family: 18
Genus: 202
Species: 1116 (This number changes as new species are found or species become extinct)

The "genus" and "species" is part of the bat's scientific name. In the name, Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat), Myotis is the genus and lucifugus is the species.

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Megachiroptera (1 family)

Pteropodidae (Old world fruit bats)

Microchiroptera (17 families)

Old World
Rhinopomatidae (mouse-tailed bats)
Nycteridae (slit-faced bats)
Megadermatidae (false vampire bats)
Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats)
Hipposideridae (leaf-nosed bats, roundleaf bats, and trident bats)
Craseonycteridae (bumblee bat and hog-nosed bat)
Myzopodidae (sucker-footed bats)
Mystacinidae (New Zealand short-tailed bats)

New World
Noctilionidae (bulldog/fishing bats)
Phyllostomidae (new world leaf-nosed bats)
          Subfamily: Desmodontinae (vampire bats)
Mormoopidae (ghost-faced bats, moustached bats, and naked-backed bats)
Natalidae (funnel-eared bats)
Furipteridae (smoky bats and thumbless bats)
Thyropteridae (disc-winged bats)

Both Worlds
Emballonuridae (sac-winged bats, sheath-tailed bats, and relatives)
Vespertilionidae (evening bats and vesper bats)
Molossidae (free-tailed bats)

There are over 1300 bat species around the world

Questions or Comments
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