One of the 29 bats on WAnimals
Mammals · Chiroptera · Miniopteridae
Schreiber's Bent-winged Bat
Miniopterus schreibersii
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
It has extraordinarily long finger bones in the wing that fold back at rest, which is where its genus name — 'bent wing' — comes from. Genetic analysis has revealed a complex of cryptic species within what was thought to be one.
Weight
10 g – 14 g
Size
5.2 cm – 6.3 cm
Lifespan
20 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- Its extraordinarily long wing fingers fold back at rest, which is where its genus name comes from.
- Genetic studies revealed that it is in fact a complex of distinct cryptic species.
- It lives in karst caves of Mediterranean influence, and its numbers are falling sharply.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Karst caves across much of Europe, especially in Mediterranean-influenced regions, and North Africa
- Birth weight
- 2.8 grams
- Size at birth
- The young naked at birth
- Sexual maturity
- Female: 19 months | Male: 2 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 100 days (embryonic development held at the blastocyst stage after autumn mating)
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 young per litter
Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); BatsLife; Encyclopedia of Life; PMC (cryptic diversity Asia Minor study); Ratpenats.org
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 105 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Schreiber's Bent-winged Bat — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Golden-striped Salamander
Chioglossa lusitanica
Iberian Desman
Galemys pyrenaicus
Betic Midwife Toad
Alytes dickhilleni
Least ConcernGreater Horseshoe Bat
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
Iberian Frog
Rana iberica
Greater Mouse-eared Bat
Myotis myotis
How to help
The schreiber's bent-winged bat is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about schreiber's bent-winged bat.
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