Megadermatidae

This article is about bats in the family Megadermatidae. For the false vampire bats in the family Phyllostomidae, see Phyllostomidae.
Megadermatidae
Temporal range: Early Oligocene to Recent
Ghost Bat at Perth Zoo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Megadermatidae
H. Allen, 1864
Genera

Cardioderma
Lavia
Macroderma
Megaderma
Eudiscoderma

Megadermatidae, or false vampire bats, are a family of bats found from central Africa, eastwards through southern Asia, and into Australia. They are relatively large bats, ranging from 6.5 cm to 14 cm in head-body length. They have large eyes, very large ears and a prominent nose-leaf. They have a wide membrane between the hind legs, or uropatagium, but no tail. Many species are a drab brown in color, but some are white, bluish-grey or even olive-green, helping to camouflage them against their preferred roosting environments. They are primarily insectivorous, but will also eat a wide range of small vertebrates.[1]

Classification

FAMILY MEGADERMATIDAE

References

  1. Macdonald, D., ed. (1984). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. p. 804. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.

References in Borneo

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