NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Atacama Myotis
Myotis (Pizonyx) atacamensis (Lataste, 1892)
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.
Geographical distribution of Myotis atacamensis according to IUCNREDLIST.org
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Open encyclopedia reference
The Atacama myotis (Myotis atacamensis) is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Chile and Peru, specifically throughout the Atacama Desert in the Chilean matorral. It is one of the smallest Myotis species, with a height of around 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in). The species was first discovered in the Atacama Desert, which is where its name comes from.
Wikipedia contributors, Atacama myotis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:36:17.742109+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Myotis (Pizonyx) atacamensis (Lataste, 1892)
- Name authority
- (Lataste, 1892)
- Common name
- Atacama Myotis
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Family
- Vespertilionidae
- Genus
- Myotis
- 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
- familyVespertilionidae Gray, 1821
- subfamilyMyotinae Tate, 1942
- genusMyotis Kaup, 1829
- subgenusPizonyx Miller, 1906
- speciesMyotis (Pizonyx) atacamensis (Lataste, 1892)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Myotis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Silver-tipped MyotisMyotis (Pizonyx) albescens (E. Geoffroy, 1806) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sichuan MyotisMyotis (Myotis) altarium Thomas, 1911 | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Anna Tess's MyotisMyotis (Myotis) annatessae Kruskop & Borisenko, 2013 | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chestnut MyotisMyotis (Myotis) badius Tiunov, Kruskop & Feng, 2011 | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bechstein's MyotisMyotis (Myotis) bechsteinii (Kuhl, 1817) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesser Mouse-eared MyotisMyotis (Myotis) blythii (Tomes, 1857) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brandt's MyotisMyotis (Pizonyx) brandtii (Eversmann, 1845) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| California MyotisMyotis (Pizonyx) californicus (Audubon & Bachman, 1842) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chilean MyotisMyotis (Pizonyx) chiloensis (Waterhouse, 1840) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Small-footed MyotisMyotis (Pizonyx) ciliolabrum (Merriam, 1886) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Indochinese MyotisMyotis (Myotis) indochinensis Son, Görföl, Francis, Motokawa, Estók, Endo, Thong, Dang, Oshida & Csorba, 2013 | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Insular MyotisMyotis (Myotis) insularum (Dobson, 1878) | VespertilionidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Vespertilio atacamensis Lataste, 1892 Lataste, 1892 | synonym |
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.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=632000 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.
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:456DB. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.