Vespertilionidae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vespertilionidae Temporal range: Early Eocene to recent
Greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	Scrotifera
Order:	Chiroptera
Suborder:	Yangochiroptera
Family:	Vespertilionidae Gray, 1821
Type genus
Vespertilio Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies
Vespertilioninae Murininae Myotinae Kerivoulinae

Vespertilionidae is a big family of small bats. They are also called common bats, vesper bats, or simple-nosed bats. These bats are flying mammals that mostly eat insects. They are found all over the world, except in Antarctica.

This bat family is the most varied and widespread of all bat families. They have adapted to live in many different places and situations. You can often see them, and they are studied a lot by scientists. These bats usually have simple faces because they use sound to find their way around and hunt. This is called echolocation. Their tails are covered by the skin that forms the lower part of their wings, between their legs.

The name "Vespertilionidae" comes from the bat genus Vespertilio. This word comes from the Latin word vesper, which means 'evening'. That's why they are sometimes called "evening bats."

How They Evolved

These bats belong to a group called Microchiroptera, which means "small bats." This group is different from the Megachiroptera, which are the larger flying foxes and fruit bats. Scientists have also grouped these bats in other ways, like with the Vespertilioniformes.

Scientists believe that Vespertilionidae bats split off from another bat family, the Molossidae, a very long time ago. This happened during the early Eocene period. It is thought that this family first appeared somewhere in Laurasia, which might have been North America. There was also a species called Synemporion keana that lived in Hawaii but is now extinct.

What They Are Like

Most bats in this family are insectivores, meaning they eat insects. But some bats from the Myotis and Pizonyx groups can catch fish. The larger Nyctalus species are even known to catch small birds while flying.

Their teeth can be different depending on the species. They mainly use echolocation to find their way and catch food. This means they make sounds and listen for the echoes. Unlike some other microbats, they don't have fancy nose parts to help focus their sounds. They usually make sounds from their mouths. Many species have large outer ears to help them hear and understand the echoes.

Vespertilionid bats use different ways to fly. Their wings stretch down to their lower legs, and their tails are covered by a special membrane between their legs. Some bats, like Pipistrellus, fly relatively slowly. They can change the shape of their wide wings, which makes them look like they are fluttering as they hunt. Other bats, like Lasiurus and Nyctalus, have long wings and fly very fast to catch insects.

These bats can be from 3 to 13 centimeters (about 1 to 5 inches) long, not counting their tails. Their tails can be quite long. They are usually brown or gray, often looking like a "little brown bat." But some species have bright fur in colors like red, orange, and yellow. Some bats also have white patches or stripes that help tell them apart.

Most species sleep in caves. But some use hollow trees, cracks in rocks, animal burrows, or other safe spots. The size of their groups can vary a lot. Some bats sleep alone, while others live in groups of up to a million bats! Bats that live in cooler places usually hibernate (sleep through winter) to avoid the cold. Some bats in warm, tropical areas might aestivate (sleep through hot, dry periods) to avoid extreme weather.

How They Are Grouped

Scientists group bats into different families and subfamilies based on how they are related. The Vespertilionidae family has four main groups called subfamilies. These groups help organize all the different types of bats, both living and extinct.

The way these subfamilies are grouped has changed over time. This is because new information from molecular genetics (studying DNA) has helped scientists understand how bats are truly related. Only the Murininae and Kerivoulinae subfamilies have stayed the same after genetic studies.

Some subfamilies that were once thought to be separate, like the Nyctophilinae, are now considered part of other groups. This is because genetic evidence showed they were not as distinct as once believed. The closest relatives to the Vespertilionidae family are the free-tailed bats, which belong to the family Molossidae.

One special bat, the blunt-eared bat (Tomopeas ravus), is thought to be a link between the Vespertilionidae and Molossidae families. It has features of both groups.

Classification

The following is a list of the subfamilies and some of the genera (groups of species) within the Vespertilionidae family. This classification is used by the American Society of Mammalogists. Other groups might classify them slightly differently.

Some genera, like Cistugo, are no longer part of this family. They have been moved to their own separate families. Also, the Miniopterinae group is now considered its own family, not a subfamily of Vespertilionidae.

A study in 2021 looked closely at the pipistrelle-like bats in Africa. This study used genetic and physical information to understand how these bats are related. It suggested new ways to group them and even found new genera and species.

Family Vespertilionidae

• subfamily Kerivoulinae

• genus Kerivoula – painted bats
• genus Phoniscus

• subfamily Myotinae

• genus Eudiscopus
• genus Myotis – mouse-eared bats
• genus Submyotodon – broad-muzzled bats

• subfamily Murininae

• genus Harpiocephalus – hairy-winged bats
• genus Harpiola
• genus Murina – tube-nosed insectivorous bats

• subfamily Vespertilioninae
  • tribe Antrozoini
    • genus Antrozous
    • genus Bauerus
    • genus Rhogeessa
  • tribe Eptesicini
    • genus Arielulus
    • genus Eptesicus – house bats
    • genus Glauconycteris – butterfly bats
    • genus Hesperoptenus – false serotine bats
    • genus Histiotus – big-eared brown bats
    • genus Ia
    • genus Lasionycteris
    • genus Scoteanax – greater broad-nosed bats
    • genus Scotomanes
    • genus Scotorepens – lesser broad-nosed bats
    • genus Thainycteris
  • tribe incertae sedis
    • genus Rhyneptesicus
  • tribe Lasiurini
    • genus Aeorestes – hoary bats
    • genus Dasypterus – yellow bats
    • genus Lasiurus – hairy-tailed bats
  • tribe Nycticeiini
    • genus Nycticeius – evening bats
  • tribe Perimyotini
    • genus Parastrellus
    • genus Perimyotis
  • tribe Pipistrellini
    • genus Glischropus – thick-thumbed bats
    • genus Nyctalus – noctule bats
    • genus Pipistrellus – true pipistrelles
    • genus Scotoecus – house bats
    • genus Scotozous
    • genus Vansonia
  • tribe Plecotini
    • genus Barbastella – barbastelles or barbastelle bats
    • genus Corynorhinus – American lump-nosed bats
    • genus Euderma
    • genus Idionycteris
    • genus Otonycteris
    • genus Plecotus – lump-nosed bats
  • tribe Scotophilini
    • genus Scotophilus – Old World yellow bats
  • tribe Vespertilionini
    • genus Afronycteris
    • genus Cassistrellus – helmeted bats
    • genus Chalinolobus – wattled bats
    • genus Falsistrellus – false pipistrelles
    • genus Hypsugo – Asian pipistrelles
    • genus Laephotis – long-eared bats
    • genus Mimetillus – mimic bats
    • genus Mirostrellus
    • genus Neoromicia
    • genus Nycticeinops
    • genus Nyctophilus – New Guinean and Australian big-eared bats
    • genus Pharotis
    • genus Philetor
    • genus Pseudoromicia
    • genus Tylonycteris – bamboo bats
    • genus Vespadelus
    • genus Vespertilio – frosted bats

See also

• In Spanish: Vespertiliónidos para niños