First confirmed records of two bat species for Iraq: Rhinolophus euryale and Myotis emarginatus (Chiroptera)

Abstract

Based on a cave survey, we present the first substantiated data of two bat species from Iraq. Both Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) and Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus) were mentioned in the earlier literature, although none of them was accepted and listed by subsequent authors. We overview the controversial history of the Mediterranean and Mehely's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi) records, provide details of the diagnostic characters of vouchered specimens of the former species, and present photographic evidence of the presence of Geoffroy's bat. Both species are rare in the Middle East, and the territory of Iraq was a gap in their distribution.