This family consists of two genera with one species in each genus. Like the natalids, furipterids are small, neotropically distributed members of the superfamily Vespertilionoidea, the largest of the four superfamilies of microbats.
Smoky bats are very small bats with much reduced thumbs that are mostly enclosed in the wing membrane. The crown of their head is inflated, and they have large, well-separated ears with a small tragus. Curiously, the ears appear to cover their small eyes so that from the front, these bats look strangely eyeless. Furipterids have a small noseleaf, and one species, Amorphochilus, has three triangular fleshy projections from its lower jaw. Their tail is enclosed in the uropatagium; a short portion may project beyond. The fur of furipterids is gray or gray-brown in color and appears coarse.
The premaxilla of furipterids has palatal branches that are reduced to filaments. These bats lack postorbital processes. Their dental formula is 2/3, 1/1, 2/3, 3/3 = 36, and their molars are dilambdadont. The upper canines are relatively small, about the height of the upper premolars.
These bats are strictly insectivorous and may be further limited in diet to moths and butterflies.
Furipterids live in diverse habitats from lowland rainforest to the super-dry western deserts of South America. Colonies range from 100 to 300 individuals and are known primarily from caves and man-made structures.
Furipterids appear to be closely related to the family Natalidae and Thyropteridae. They have no fossil record.
 smoky bat |
 smoky bat |
Suborder Megachiroptera
Family Pteropodidae (Old World fruit-eating bats)
Suborder Microchiroptera
Family Rhinopomatidae (long-tailed or mouse-tailed bats) Family Craseonycteridae (bumblebee bat) Family Emballonuridae (sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats) Family Nycteridae (slit-faced or hollow-faced bats) Family Megadermatidae (false vampire bats) Family Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats or Old-World leaf-nosed bats) Family Noctilionidae (bull-dog or mastiff bats) Family Mormoopidae (naked-backed bats) Family Phyllostomidae (New World leaf-nosed bats) Family Natalidae (funnel-eared or long legged bats) Family Furipteridae (smoky or thumbless bats) Family Thyropteridae (disc-winged bats) Family Myzopodidae (old world sucker-footed bats) Family Vespertilionidae (evening bats) Family Mystacinidae (New Zealand short-tailed bats) Family Molossidae (free-tailed bats)<<<<<<<>>>>>>> ARTIODACTYLA CARNIVORA CETACEA CHIROPTERA DASYUROMORPHIA DERMOPTERA DIDELPHIMORPHI DIPROTODONTIA HYRACOIDEA INSECTIVORA LAGOMORPHA MACROSCELIDEA MICROBIOTHERIA MONOTREMATA NOTORYCTEMORPHIA PAUCITUBERCULATA PERAMELEMORPHIA PERISSODACTYLA PHOLIDOTA PRIMATES PROBOSCIDEA RODENTIA SCANDENTIA SIRENIA TUBULIDENTATA XENARTHRA
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