The single species in this family, Myzopoda aurita, is found only in Madagascar, although there are fossil myzopodids known from Pleistocene beds in Africa. Like the neotropical Thyropteridae, myzopodid bats have suction-cups on their wrists and ankles that allow them to roost inside rolled leaves. The suction cups appear to have been evolved independently of those found on thyropterid bats. Myzopodids are placed in the superfamily Vespertilionoidea.
Myzopodids are medium-sized bats with large ears. Their toes have only two phalanges, and they are united for most of their length. The thumb is small and has a vestigial claw, similar to the New World furipterids. The premaxillae are fused and their palatal branches define two palatal foramina. The dental formula of myzopodids is 2/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3 = 38, and the molars are dilambdodont.
Little is known about the natural history of this rare species. Its members are believed to be insectivorous.
 big brown bat |
 little brown bat (profile) |
 little brown bat (artistic rendition) |
 myzopodidae |
 myzopodidae bat on the wing |
 red 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
Email: eradani7@aol.com
