''Desmodus'' is a genus of
bat
Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s which—along with the genera ''
Diaemus
The white-winged vampire bat (''Diaemus youngi''), a species of vampire bat, is the only member of the genus ''Diaemus''. They are found from Mexico to northern Argentina and are present on the islands of Trinidad and Margarita Island.
Etymology ...
'' and ''
Diphylla
The hairy-legged vampire bat (''Diphylla ecaudata'') is one of three extant species of vampire bats. It mainly feeds on the blood of wild birds, but can also feed both on domestic birds and humans. This vampire bat lives mainly in tropical and s ...
''—are allied as the subfamily
Desmodontinae, the carnivorous, blood-consuming vampire bats of the New World leaf-nosed bat family
Phyllostomidae.
The genus was erected in 1826 to accommodate a new species ''Desmodus rufus'' described by
Maximilian Wied in the second volume of his work detailing his explorations in Brazil.
The
type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
was previously described with the name ''Phyllostoma rotundus'' by
Étienne Geoffroy
Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne.
Étienne, Etienne, Ettiene or Ettienne may refer to:
People Artists and entertainers
* ...
in 1810.
* subfamilia
Desmodontinae
:* genus ''Desmodus''
::* ''Desmodus archaeodaptes'', extinct,
::* ''
Desmodus draculae
''Desmodus draculae'' is an extinct species of vampire bat that inhabited Central and South America during the Pleistocene, and possibly the early Holocene. It was 30% larger than its living relative the common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotund ...
'' – giant vampire bat, extinct,
::* ''
Desmodus rotundus
The common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotundus'') is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to the Americas. It is one of three extant species of vampire bats, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats.
The common vampire ba ...
'' – common vampire bat, extant,
:::* ''Desmodus rotundus puntajudensis'' (''
Desmodus puntajudensis'') - Cuban vampire bat, extinct,
::* ''
Desmodus stocki'' – Stock's vampire bat, extinct.
References
Bat genera
Taxa named by Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied
Mammal genera with one living species
Vampire bats
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