Biogeogwhy of the Bats of Madagascar

ABSTRACT.Seven of the 17 families of bats are represented on Madagascar, one of which, the Myzopodidae, is endemic to the island. Three genera, Pteropus, Emballonura and Mormopterus, occur in Madagascar and Asia but not in Africa. Two other genera found in Madagascar, Eidolon and Triaenops, do not occur in Asia but are found in Africa. Of the 28 species of Madagascar bats for which specimen records exist, 18 species are endemic. Based on distribution records and phenetic analyses, we found that ten of the endemic species have African aflinities, six have obvious Asian affinities while two species lack sufficient data for classification. Of the non-endemic species, nine are African in origin, and one needs further study.