Glauconycteris, originally described by Dobson (1875) as a subgenus of Chalinolobus, is found in Africa south of the Sahara and is currently recognized as having 12 species (Simmons 2005, Rambaldini 2010). Its species are restricted, more or less, to forested tropical areas and savanna woodlands. While one or two species of Glauconycteris are widely distributed, many are poorly known and relatively poorly represented in museum collections. Glauconycteris bats are characterized by a highly distinctive combination of traits, including variable patterns of spots and stripes on the body, reticulated wings, and an extremely shortened muzzle and toothrow. Within the large family Vespertilionidae, Glauconycteris is classified in the subfamily Vespertilioninae, tribe Nycticeiini (Hoofer and Van Den Bussche 2003) and forms a clade with Lasionycteris, Nycticeius, Arielulus, Eptesticus, and Scotomanes (Roehrs et al. 2011).
