NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Madagascar Long-fingered Bat
Miniopterus brachytragos Goodman, Maminirina, Bradman, Christidis & Appleton, 2009
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Miniopterus brachytragos is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in northern and western Madagascar. Populations of this species have historically been included in Miniopterus manavi, but molecular data published in 2008 and 2009 indicate this supposed species in fact consists of five separate species, including the newly described M. brachytragos. Up to four species of this group may occur in the same place. M. brachytragos has been found in dry and wet forests from sea level to 320 m (1,050 ft) altitude.
Miniopterus brachytragos is a small, brown Miniopterus; its forearm length is 35 to 38 mm (1.4 to 1.5 in). The hairs of the underparts have buff tips. The short tragus (a projection in the outer ear) is an important distinguishing feature. The uropatagium (tail membrane) is well-furred and the palate is concave.
Wikipedia contributors, Miniopterus brachytragos; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:02:53.863457+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Miniopterus brachytragos Goodman, Maminirina, Bradman, Christidis & Appleton, 2009
- Name authority
- Goodman, Maminirina, Bradman, Christidis & Appleton, 2009
- Common name
- Madagascar Long-fingered Bat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Family
- Miniopteridae
- Genus
- Miniopterus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderChiroptera Blumenbach, 1779
- suborderYangochiroptera Koopman, 1984
- superfamilyVespertilionoidea Gray, 1821
- familyMiniopteridae Dobson, 1875
- genusMiniopterus Bonaparte, 1837
- speciesMiniopterus brachytragos Goodman, Maminirina, Bradman, Christidis & Appleton, 2009
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Miniopterus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| African Long-fingered BatMiniopterus africanus Sanborn, 1936 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesser Long-fingered BatMiniopterus fraterculus Thomas & Schwann, 1906 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ryukyu Long-fingered BatMiniopterus fuscus Bonhote, 1902 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Griffiths's Long-fingered BatMiniopterus griffithsi Goodman, Maminirina, Bradman, Christidis & Appleton, 2010 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Large Long-fingered BatMiniopterus magnater Sanborn, 1931 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mahafaly Long-fingered BatMiniopterus mahafaliensis Goodman, Maminirina, Bradman, Christidis & Appleton, 2009 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Major's Long-fingered BatMiniopterus majori Thomas, 1906 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Intermediate Long-fingered BatMiniopterus medius Thomas & Wroughton, 1909 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mozambican Long-fingered BatMiniopterus mossambicus Monadjem, Goodman, Stanley & Appleton, 2013 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Newton's Long-fingered BatMiniopterus newtoni Bocage, 1889 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pallid Long-fingered BatMiniopterus pallidus Thomas, 1907 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Peterson's Long-fingered BatMiniopterus petersoni Goodman, Ramasindrazana, Maminirina, Schoeman & Appleton, 2011 | MiniopteridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Goodman, Steven M., Claudette P. Maminirina, Helen M. Bradman, Les Christidis, and Belinda Appleton. (2009). The use of molecular phylogenetic and morphological tools to identify cryptic and paraphyletic species : examples from the diminutive long-fingered bats (Chiroptera, Miniopteridae, Miniopterus) on Madagascar. American Museum Novitates, No. 3669. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:43JS3. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.