New Guinea Big-eared Bat | |
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Information | |
Range | Papua New Guinea |
Scientific Classification | |
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Chiroptera |
Family | Vespertilionidae |
Genus | Pharotis |
Species | Pharotis imogene |
Conservation Status | |
Critically Endangered |
The New guinea big-eared bat (Pharotis imogene), is a vesper bat endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to ongoing habitat loss. It is the only known member of the genus Pharotis, which is closely related to Nyctophilus.
Previously, the species was believed to have been extinct since 1890, when it was last spotted. In 2012, researchers realized that a female bat collected near Kamali was a member of this species.