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    Rhinonycteridae – Trident bats

    The family contains orange leaf-nosed bats that are all insectivorous and found in the rift valley of Kenya

    Also known as the trident bats, these member species of this family are spread few and far between the Rift valley of Kenya. These bats are of special interest to research as they act as reservoirs for the coronaviruses implicated in conditions like the Chinese epidemic, and Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak, and Covid-19.

    The family currently contains six genera that have very strong morphological resemblances and are thought to have arisen from a common ancestor. The taxonomy status of this family has always been somewhat controversial, but currently, most taxonomists recognize this as an independent family.