An explanation of how the families are grouped is presented in the introductory part. The main text applies to bat families whose order reflects insights into chiropteran phylogenetics the families of the Yinpterochiroptera (7 families) are followed by Yangochiroptera (14 families). To tackle this problem, the authors have minimized the introductory chapter and summarized the bibliography on a separate CD-ROM (available on the Lynx Edicions website), as well as adopting abbreviations. Therefore, the task of compiling this information on this second largest mammalian group (almost 1,400 species) into a limited number of pages appears all but impossible. Bats occupy almost every habitat on six continents and their ecology is incredibly diverse. Our knowledge of bats has been growing dramatically over the past few decades, including description of new species. It completes the comprehensive multi-volume series that is comparable only with the Handbook of the Birds of the World, which was finalized in 2013. The last, but not the least, final volume of the Handbook of the Mammals of the World, which illustrates and describes in detail every mammalian species on the planet, is dedicated to a spectacular group of bats.
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