NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Sandy Long-fingered Bat
Miniopterus arenarius Heller, 1912
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
The sandy long-fingered bat (Miniopterus arenarius), also known as the sandy bent-winged bat, is a species of bat from the genus Miniopterus that is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. The species was initially described as a subspecies of either M. schreibersii or M. natalensis. Recent genetic research has revealed that specimens from the Arabian Peninsula and Ethiopia, which were tentatively ascribed to the genus, are significantly distinct from M. schreibersii and M. natalensis. A genetic analysis of type locality material is still needed before taxonomy can be resolved.
It is a small brownish or dark species of the Miniopterus genus. The head is a darker clove-brown color than the seal-brown dorsal pelage. The forearm measures approximately 42–46 mm (1.7–1.8 in) in the South Sudan population and 45 mm (1.8 in) in the Ethiopia population.
Wikipedia contributors, Sandy long-fingered bat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:11:43.307089+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Miniopterus arenarius Heller, 1912
- Name authority
- Heller, 1912
- Common name
- Sandy 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 arenarius Heller, 1912
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 |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Miniopterus natalensis arenarius Heller, 1912 Heller, 1912 | 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=1159233 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:8Q8CG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.