By Stephen Beech

Six new species of bat have been discovered in time for Halloween.

The tube-nosed bats were identified in the protected forests of the Philippines by an international research team.

They say the nocturnal – and "slightly spooky" – group of mammals is "incredibly diverse."

Formally described as new species through the examination of physical and genetic characteristics, the six are commonly known as tube-nosed bats .

The study, published in the journal Zootaxa , was conducted by American and Canadian scientists from the Field Museum in Chicago, Lawrence University in Wisconsin, and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).

Dr. Judith Eger, ROM's curator emeritus of mammals, said: “This latest research serves to illustrate how much remains unknown about the countless

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