Hipposideridae is one of the twenty families of bats in the mammalian order Chiroptera and part of the microbat suborder. A member of this family is called a hipposiderid or an Old World leaf-nosed bat. They are named for their elongated, leaf-shaped nose. They are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia, primarily in forests, savannas, rocky areas, and caves, though some species can also be found in grasslands or wetlands. They range in size from the Malayan tailless leaf-nosed bat, at 3 cm (1 in) and no tail, to the striped leaf-nosed bat, at 13 cm (5 in) plus a 4 cm (2 in) tail. Like all bats, hipposiderids are capable of true and sustained flight, and have wing lengths ranging from multiple species with 3 cm (1 in), to the giant roundleaf bat at 13 cm (5 in). They are all insectivorous and primarily eat cicadas, cockroaches, termites, and beetles, though some species may eat trace amounts of fruit while consuming insects within.[1] Most hipposiderids do not have population estimates, but the ones that do range from 150 adult individuals to 10,000. The lesser great leaf-nosed bat, Makira roundleaf bat, Nicobar leaf-nosed bat, Pomona roundleaf bat, short-tailed roundleaf bat, Cox's roundleaf bat, and Sorensen's leaf-nosed bat are categorized as endangered species, and the Kolar leaf-nosed bat and Lamotte's roundleaf bat are categorized as critically endangered.
The 86 extant species of Hipposideridae are divided into seven genera; 70 of the species are in the Hipposideros genus. The other six genera are Anthops, Asellia, Aselliscus, Coelops, Doryrhina, and Macronycteris. A few extinct prehistoric hipposiderid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.[2]