''Rhinonicteris'' is a genus of
leaf-nosed microbats, represented by fossil taxa found at Riverleigh in Queensland and the extant species ''
Rhinonicteris aurantia
The orange leaf-nosed bat (''Rhinonicteris aurantia'') is a bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is the only living species in the genus '' Rhinonicteris'' which is endemic to Australia, occurring in the far north and north-west of the continent ...
'', which occurs in the north and west of the Australian continent.
The genus was erected by Gray in 1847 to separate the species ''
Rhinonicteris aurantia
The orange leaf-nosed bat (''Rhinonicteris aurantia'') is a bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is the only living species in the genus '' Rhinonicteris'' which is endemic to Australia, occurring in the far north and north-west of the continent ...
'', nominating it as the type and only species.
The genus name published as ''Rhinonycteris'' Gray, J.E. 1866 has been regarded as a later correction by Gray, but this has also been determined to be an unjustified emendation.
The genus is placed with the family
Hipposideridae
The Hipposideridae are a family of bats commonly known as the Old World leaf-nosed bats. While it has often been seen as a subfamily, Hipposiderinae, of the family Rhinolophidae, it is now more generally classified as its own family.Simmons, 20 ...
, the subject of taxonomic instability that has seen itself reduced in rank to a subfamily of
Rhinolophidae.
A revision in 2014 reƫlevated a subfamilial taxon as family Rhinonycteridae, which includes described and proposed fossil taxa:
*family
Rhinonycteridae
Rhinonycteridae is a family of bats, allied to the suborder Microchiroptera. The type species, the orange nose-leafed species group ''Rhinonicteris aurantia'', is found across the north of Australia.
Description
The family accords with the de ...
. elevated by Foley, ''et al'', 2014.
**genus ''Rhinonicteris'' J.E. Gray, 1847
***species ''
Rhinonicteris aurantia
The orange leaf-nosed bat (''Rhinonicteris aurantia'') is a bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is the only living species in the genus '' Rhinonicteris'' which is endemic to Australia, occurring in the far north and north-west of the continent ...
'' (J.E. Gray, 1845).
****
''Rhinonicteris aurantia'' (Pilbara form) recognised as an isolated group
***species ''
Rhinonicteris tedfordi
''Rhinonicteris tedfordi'' is an extinct species of microbat, of the order Chiroptera, known from fossil material found in Australia.
Taxonomy
The description of the fossil specimens as an extinct species was published by Suzanne J. Hand in 19 ...
'' Hand, 1993. Fossil taxon.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10811563
Bat genera
Taxa named by John Edward Gray
Hipposideridae