A checklist of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Iraq

The current research article represents the first complete review and detailed documentation of available data on the distribution of bats in Iraq. All information was collected from literature records, survey data, and museum collections. This checklist of bats of Iraq has been developed based on several data sources, including previously published literature and recent discoveries of new species. According to previous and recent records, the bat checklist in Iraq includes 19 species of six families: Emballonuridae (one species), Molossidae (one species), Rhinopomatidae (two species), Rhinolophidae (four species), Hipposideridae (one species), Vespertilionidae (nine species), and Miniopteridae (one species). Some corrections were added to previously published records, according to the revised identifications and the new taxonomic information. However, there are still many gaps in the data available on the bats of Iraq. Further field research should be conducted in the future to update the current checklist.