Scotophilus borbonicus (E. Geoffroy 1803) [Vespertilio] borbonicus E. Geoffroy 1803, Cat. Mamm. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat.: 46. Type Locality: Réunion Isl (France). Vernacular Names: Reunion House Bat. Distribution: Réunion Isl (Mascarene Isls). Records from Mauritius (Mascarene Isls) are erroneous, see Cheke and Dahl (1981). Reports from Madagascar have not been confirmed; see Peterson et al. (1995). Conservation: IUCN 2003 and IUCN / SSC Action Plan (2001) – Critically Endangered. May be extinct; see Cheke and Dahl (1981). Discussion: Hill (1980 b) considered African viridis and damarensis, and possibly leucogaster, to be conspecific with borbonicus, and Koopman (1986) included viridis, damarensis, and nigritellus (but not leucogaster) in this species. However, in a comprehensive revision of the African forms Robbins et al. (1985) rejected any affinity of borbonicus sensu stricto with African mainland species. I therefore restrict usage of the name borbonicus to the Réunion Isl form, and follow Robbins et al. (1985) in using leucogaster and dinganii for the smaller mainland species.

Published as part of Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Chiroptera - Family Vespertilionidae, pp. 451-529 in Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore :The Johns Hopkins University Press on page 465, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7316519