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Mormopterus
Mormopterus beccarii astrolabiensis 1.jpg
Mormopterus beccarii
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Mormopterus
Peters, 1865
Type species
Mormopterus jugularis
Peters, 1865

Mormopterus is a group of small, flying mammals known as free-tailed bats. These bats are part of the molossid family. They get their name because a part of their tail sticks out beyond the edge of the tail membrane.

For a long time, scientists have been studying these bats. They have sorted them into different groups. Now, the bats that are still called Mormopterus are found only outside of Australia and West Papua. Other bats that used to be in this group have been moved to new groups like Ozimops, Setirostris, and Micronomus.

Understanding Mormopterus Bats

Scientists study how different animals are related to each other. This helps us understand the natural world. The Mormopterus group was first described in 1865 by Wilhelm Peters. He saw them as a smaller group related to another bat genus called Nyctinomus.

Over time, scientists used new tools like DNA testing. These tests showed that the Mormopterus group, as it was first understood, included bats that were not as closely related as once thought. This meant the group needed to be reorganized.

Sorting Out Bat Families

Sorting out bat families can be tricky. For Mormopterus bats in Australia, it was especially hard. This made it difficult to study them or help protect them.

In 2014, scientists did a big study. They looked at both the bats' bodies and their DNA. This study helped them create new groups. They recognized a group called Micronomus and created two new groups: Setirostris and Ozimops. These new groups now hold many of the bats that used to be called Mormopterus.

Today, the Australian Faunal Directory recognizes Ozimops, Setirostris, and Micronomus as their own separate groups. This means many bats once called Mormopterus now have new group names.

Where Mormopterus Bats Live

The Mormopterus genus, in its current, stricter sense, has seven different species. These species live in places far apart from each other around the world.

  • Three species live in the western Indian Ocean region. This includes places like Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. They might also be found in South Africa and Ethiopia.
  • One species is known from Sumatra in western Indonesia. This bat seems to be related to the Indian Ocean species.
  • Three species live in the Neotropics. This area includes the western side of South America, reaching as far south as northern Chile, and also Cuba.

The bats that were moved to the Ozimops group are mostly found in Australia. However, they also live in the Indonesian Archipelago, including islands like Halmahera, Ambon, Seram, and West Papua, as well as in Papua New Guinea. The two groups Micronomus and Setirostris are found only in Australia.

Types of Mormopterus Bats

Before the big changes in 2014, the Mormopterus group included many species. Here are the species that are still considered part of the Mormopterus genus today:

Bats Once Called Mormopterus

Many bats that were once thought to be Mormopterus are now in different groups. This shows how much our understanding of animal families can change as we learn more.

Here are some examples of bats that used to be in the Mormopterus group, but are now in new genera:

Also, two other bats, Peters's flat-headed bat (Platymops setiger) and Roberts's flat-headed bat (Sauromys petrophilus), were once thought to belong to this genus.

See also

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