The Family Mystacinidae consists of the New Zealand short-tailed bats, a small and unique group of bats endemic to New Zealand. Unlike most bats, mystacinids are highly terrestrial, foraging on the ground as well as flying, and they have strong, clawed limbs adapted for crawling among leaf litter and under logs. They are omnivorous, feeding on insects, fruit, nectar, and even small invertebrates. Mystacinids exhibit unusual behaviors for bats, including nesting in burrows or hollow trees, and play important ecological roles as pollinators and seed dispersers in New Zealand’s native forests. Their combination of flight and ground activity makes them one of the most distinctive bat families in the world.