Research Trends on Bats in Morocco: An Overview, Focusing on Gaps and Threats to Species Conservation.

Moroccan bats are extensively studied in North Africa due to their ecological sensitivity, significant threats and increased field investigations related to wind energy development.This review updates the list of bat species, identifies key threats and examines research distribution patterns over time, regions, research topics, taxa and endemicity, highlighting gaps and setting future research priorities.Between 1897 and 2024, around 136 information sources were produced, categorised into five research periods: four lasting about 30 years each and the fifth covering 2020–2024. These researches were analysed based on temporal, regional, topical, taxonomic and endemic trends.The most recent revision of Moroccan bats identified 29 species. With the addition of two new species and the renaming of one species, the current inventory now includes 31 species across eight families, three of which are endemic.Research efforts varied over time, with 'taxonomy and systematics' being the most studied topic, focusing on classification, evolutionary relationships and species identification. Three genera (Rhinolophus, Myotis and Pipistrellus) appeared in 56% of the studies. Investigations cover progressively a wide geographic range, with a clear preference for Northern regions. However, topics like 'diseases' and 'conservation' were addressed in less than 10% of articles.To address major research gaps, we recommend in‐depth studies on bat phenology, parasitology, habitat preferences and migrations. Special attention should be given to the causes of species decline, in both population size and geographical extent, focusing on habitat loss, human disturbances, individuals harvesting and possibly wind farms.Crucial research needs are identified for 10 prior species: Plecotus gaisleri, Miniopterus maghrebensis, Myotis capaccini, Rhinolophus mehelyi, Rhinolophus euryale, Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis zenatius, Nyctalus lasiopterus,Barbastella barbastellus and Rhinolophus blasii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]