Vespertilionidae

Description

Miniopterids are a family of strictly cave-dwelling bats distributed worldwide, formerly classified as a subfamily of vespertilionids. In fact, many of their species are considered cryptic and are difficult to identify.

Commonly known as bent-winged bats, they share several distinctive characteristics: a tuft of hair on the crown of the head, a rather rounded skull, long and narrow wings, and the ability to fold the third finger of the wing backwards when the wing is folded. They mainly forage in open areas or ecotones, although they can be found feeding in a wide variety of habitats.

In Europe, this family includes two species: the Schreiber's bent-winged bat (Miniopterus schreibersii), found throughout much of Mediterranean Europe and North Africa, and the pale bent-winged bat (Miniopterus pallidus), which occurs in Turkey and the Middle East.