The bat, discovered in South Sudan, is so rare researchers believe it is an entirely new genus
'My attention was immediately drawn to the bat's strikingly beautiful and distinct pattern of spots and stripes,' said Bucknell Associate Professor of Biology DeeAnn Reeder, who made the discovery, The Daily Mail reports
The bat is just the fifth specimen of its kind ever collected, and the first in South Sudan, which gained its independence in 2011.
The team's research in South Sudan was made possible by a $100,000 grant that Reeder received from the Woodtiger Fund.
This image shows Fauna & Flora International Programme Officer Adrian Garside (left) and Bucknell University associate professor of Biology DeeAnn Reeder with Niumbaha superba in South Sudan