Furipteridae is
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of
bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...
s, allying two genera of single species, ''
Amorphochilus schnablii'' (smoky bat) and the type ''
Furipterus horrens'' (thumbless bat). They are found in
Central and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
and are closely related to the bats in the families
Natalidae
The family Natalidae, or funnel-eared bats, are found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. The family has three genera, '' Chilonatalus'', '' Natalus'' and '' Nyctiellus''. They are slender bats with unusually long tails and, as th ...
and
Thyropteridae
Disk-winged bats are a small group of bats of the family Thyropteridae and genus Thyroptera. They are found in Central and South America, usually in moist tropical rain forests. It is a very small family, consisting of a single genus with five e ...
. The species are distinguished by their reduced or functionless thumbs, enclosed by the wing membranes, and their broad, funnel-shaped ears. They are
insectivorous and can live in many different kinds of environments. They have greyish fur, and a small
nose-leaf
A nose-leaf, or leaf nose, is an often large, lance-shaped nose, found in bats
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals ...
. Like many bats, they roost in
cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
s.
Taxonomy
*Genus ''
Amorphochilus''
**''
Amorphochilus schnablii'',
smoky bat
*Genus ''
Furipterus''
**''
Furipterus horrens'',
thumbless bat
References
Bats of South America
Bats of Central America
Bat families
Taxa named by John Edward Gray
{{bat-stub