Leaf-nosed bat

Leaf-nosed bats
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Phyllostomidae; Gray, 1825
Genera
	Ametrida; Anoura; Ardops ; Antrozous ; Ariteus ; Artibeus ; Barbastella ; Brachyphylla ; Carollia ; Centurio ; Chiroderma ; Choeroniscus ; Corynorhinus ; Choeronycteris ; Chrotopterus ; Desmodus ; Diaemus; Diphylla ; Ectophylla ; Eptesicus ; Erophylla ; Glossophaga ; Hylonycteris ; Leptonycteris ; Lasiurus ; Lichonycteris ; Lionycteris ; Lonchophylla ; Lonchorhina ; Macrophyllum ; Macrotus ; File:Macrotus waterhousii - Cartwright Cave - Long Island (4).jpg.jpgMacrotus waterhousii, Cartwright Cave, Long Island [sic], Bahamas. Taken by Matti Mero, March 2006. File:Macrotus waterhousii - Cartwright Cave - Long Island (2).jpg.jpgMacrotus waterhousii, Cartwright Cave, Long Island [sic], Bahamas. Taken by Matti Mero, March 2006. File:Macrotus waterhousii - Cartwright Cave - Long Island (6).jpg.jpgMacrotus waterhousii, Cartwright Cave, Long Island [sic], Bahamas. Taken by Matti Mero, March 2006. Micronycteris ; Mimon ; Molossus ; Monophyllus ; Musonycteris ; Myotis ; Nycteris ; Phylloderma ; Phyllonycteris ; Phyllops ; Phyllostomus ; Platalina ; Pygoderma ; Rhinophylla ; Scleronycteris ; Sphaeronycteris ; Stenoderma ; Sturnira ; Tadarida ; Tonatia ; Trachops ; Uroderma ; Vampyressa ; Vampyrodes ; Vampyrops ; Vespertillio ; Vampyrum

File:Wiki leafnosedbat.JPG

2002 stamp issued by the United States of America depicting a Leaf-nosed bat.

The Leaf-nosed bats, family Phyllostomidae are by far the most varied and diverse within the whole order Chiroptera and count within their number true predatory species that take vertebrate prey including small Dove -sized birds in the case of the False Vampire, Vampyrum spectrum, the largest bat in the Americas.

Within the group, species have evolved to utilize food groups such as fruit, nectar, pollen, insects, frogs, other bats and small vertebrates, and closely allied families that feed on fish Noctilionidae and the three highly specialised species that feed on blood.

The family gets its name from the often large, lance shaped nose projection used to direct their sonar, though some of the nectar/pollen feeders have greatly reduced it.

There are 148 species within 48 genera which are listed below.

The representative genera:

Ametrida
Anoura (Geoffroy's Long-nosed Bats)
Ardops (Tree Bat)
Ariteus (Jamaican Fig-eating Bat)
Artibeus (Neotropical Fruit Bats)
Brachyphylla
Carollia (Short-tailed Leaf-nosed Bats)
Centurio (Wrinkle-faced Bat, Or Lattice-winged Bat)
Chiroderma (Big-eyed Bats, Or White-lined Bats)
Choeroniscus
Choeronycteris (Mexican Long-nosed Bat, Or Hog-nosed Bat)
Chrotopterus (Peters's Woolly False Vampire Bat)
Desmodus (Common Vampire Bat)
Diaemus (White-winged Vampire Bat)
Diphylla (Hairy-legged Vampire Bat)
Ectophylla (White Bat)
Erophylla (Brown Flower Bats)
Glossophaga
Hylonycteris (Underwood's Long-tongued Bat)
Leptonycteris (Saussure's Long-nosed Bats)
Lichonycteris
Lionycteris
Lonchophylla
Lonchorhina (Sword-nosed Bats)
Macrophyllum (Long-legged Bat)
Macrotus (Big-eared Bats)
Micronycteris (Little Big-eared Bats)
Mimon (Gray's Spear-nosed Bats)
Monophyllus
Musonycteris (Banana Bat, Or Colima Long-nosed Bat)
Phylloderma (Peters's Spear-nosed Bat)
Phyllonycteris
Phyllops (Falcate-winged Bats)
Phyllostomus (Spear-nosed Bats)
Platalina
Pygoderma (Ipanema Bat)
Rhinophylla
Scleronycteris
Sphaeronycteris
Stenoderma (Red Fruit Bat)
Sturnira (Yellow-shouldered Bats, Or American Epauleted Bats)
Tonatia (Round-eared Bats)
Trachops (Frog-eating Bat)
Uroderma (Tent-building Bats)
Vampyressa (Yellow-eared Bats)
Vampyrodes (Great Stripe-faced Bat)
Vampyrops (White-lined Bats)
Vampyrum (Linnaeus's False Vampire Bat, Or Spectral Vampire)