Family VESPERTILIONIDAE (VESPER BATS) • Small to medium-sized bats, with stout bodies, short to moderately long rostra, no elaborate nose appendages (except in a few genera), small to big ears, complete uropatagiumstretching to ends or just before ends of long tails, and generally long narrow wings. • 5-22 cm. • Worldwide, except Antarctica. • From arid deserts to temperate and tropical forests. • 54 genera, 496 species, at least 708 extant taxa. • 6 species Critically Endangered, 15 species Endangered, 27 species Vulnerable; 1 species Extinct since 1600.

Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Vespertilionidae, pp. 716-981 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 716, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6397752