Having their fossil origins in the Eocene epoch, approximately 50 million years before present, bats occur on every continent except Antarctica and are among the most speciose orders of mammals, with more than 1,100 extant species [32] . The banana pipistrelle, which is distributed widely in forests and savannas across sub-Saharan Africa ( Figure 1C, inset) , is one of 13 species in the genus Neoromicia of the family Vespertilionidae and subfamily Vespertilioninae. Like other vesper bats, the banana pipistrelle is insectivorous. Unlike large fruit bats, such as the straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) and hammer-headed bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), which are sold as bush meat, the banana pipistrelle, weighing approximately 3 g, is not consumed as food. However, because banana pipistrelles occasionally roost within houses or reside near human habitation, rare human encounters raise the possibility of hantavirus exposure.