Species of bat
African giant free-tailed bat |
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Conservation status |
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/Status_iucn3.1_blank.svg/220px-Status_iucn3.1_blank.svg.png) Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)[1] |
Scientific classification |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Molossidae |
Genus: | Tadarida |
Species: | T. ventralis |
Binomial name |
Tadarida ventralis
(Heuglin, 1861) |
Synonyms |
- Nyctinomus ventralis Heuglin, 1861
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The African giant free-tailed bat (Tadarida ventralis), or African free-tailed bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly South Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 1861 by German ornithologist Theodor von Heuglin. Von Heuglin placed it in the now-defunct genus Nyctinomus and subgenus Dysopes, with a scientific name of Nyctinomus (Dysopes) ventralis.[2] Von Heuglin wrote that it has a wide ventral stripe, likely inspiring its species name "ventralis."[2]
Description
Its total body length ranges from 137–152 mm (5.4–6.0 in). Its forearm is 61–65 mm (2.4–2.6 in) long; its tail is 53–63 mm (2.1–2.5 in) long; its ears are 20–24 mm (0.79–0.94 in) long. Its fur is umber or fulvous-brown in color, with the ventral fur paler than the dorsal side. The ventral side has a distinct white stripe across the middle.[3]
Range and status
Its range includes several countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, such as The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.[1] It has been called "the rarest of the African molossids"[3] and the IUCN currently assesses it as data deficient.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Mickleburgh, S.; Hutson, A.M.; Bergmans, W.; Cotterill, F.P.D. (2019). "Tadarida ventralis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T21318A22121418. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T21318A22121418.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ a b von Heuglin, Theodor (1861). "Beiträge zur Fauna der Säugethiere N.O.-Afrikas". Novorum actorum Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Germanicae Naturae Curiosorum. 29 (8): 11–14.
- ^ a b Skinner, J. D.; Chimimba, C. T. (2005). The mammals of the southern African sub-region. Cambridge University Press. pp. 289–290. ISBN 9780521844185.
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Chaerephon (Lesser mastiff bats) | - Duke of Abruzzi's free-tailed bat (C. aloysiisabaudiae)
- C. atsinanana
- Ansorge's free-tailed bat (C. ansorgei)
- Gland-tailed free-tailed bat (C. bemmeleni)
- Spotted free-tailed bat (C. bivittata)
- Fijian mastiff bat (C. bregullae)
- Chapin's free-tailed bat (C. chapini)
- Gallagher's free-tailed bat (C. gallagheri)
- Northern freetail bat (C. jobensis)
- Red free-tailed bat (C. jobimena)
- Northern free-tailed bat (C. johorensis)
- Grandidier's free-tailed bat (C. leucogaster)
- Lappet-eared free-tailed bat (C. major)
- Nigerian free-tailed bat (C. nigeriae)
- Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat (C. plicata)
- Little free-tailed bat (C. pumila)
- Russet free-tailed bat (C. russata)
- Solomons mastiff bat (C. solomonis)
- São Tomé free-tailed bat (C. tomensis)
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Cheiromeles (Naked bats) | |
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Cynomops | - Cinnamon dog-faced bat (C. abrasus)
- Freeman's dog-faced bat (C. freemani)
- Greenhall's dog-faced bat (C. greenhalli)
- Mexican dog-faced bat (C. mexicanus)
- C. milleri
- Para dog-faced bat (C. paranus)
- Southern dog-faced bat (C. planirostris)
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Eumops (Mastiff bats) | - Black bonneted bat (E. auripendulus)
- Dwarf bonneted bat (E. bonariensis)
- Big bonneted bat (E. dabbenei)
- E. ferox
- Florida bonneted bat (E. floridanus)
- Wagner's bonneted bat (E. glaucinus)
- Sanborn's bonneted bat (E. hansae)
- Guianan bonneted bat (E. maurus)
- E. nanus
- Patagonian bonneted bat (E. patagonicus)
- Western mastiff bat (E. perotis)
- Colombian bonneted bat (E. trumbulli)
- Underwood's bonneted bat (E. underwoodi)
- E. wilsoni
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Mormopterus | - Subgenus Mormopterus
- Natal free-tailed bat (M. acetabulosus)
- M. francoismoutoui
- Sumatran mastiff bat (M. doriae)
- Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat (M. jugularis)
- Kalinowski's mastiff bat (M. kalinowskii)
- Little goblin bat (M. minutus)
- Incan little mastiff bat (M. phrudus)
- Subgenus Micronomus
- East-coast free-tailed bat (M. norfolkensis)
- Subgenus Ozimops
- Beccari's free-tailed bat (M. beccarii)
- M. halli
- M. kitcheneri
- M. loriae
- M. lumsdenae
- M. petersi
- Southern free-tailed bat (M. planiceps)
- Eastern free-tailed bat (M. ridei)
- Subgenus Setirostris
- M. eleryi
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Molossops (Broad-faced bats) | - Equatorial dog-faced bat (M. (Cabreramops) aequatorianus)
- Mato Grosso dog-faced bat (M. mattogrossensis)
- Rufous dog-faced bat (M. neglectus)
- Dwarf dog-faced bat (M. temminckii)
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Molossus (Velvety free-tailed bats) | - Aztec mastiff bat (M. aztecus)
- M. barnesi
- Coiban mastiff bat (M. coibensis)
- Bonda mastiff bat (M. currentium)
- Velvety free-tailed bat (M. molossus)
- Miller's mastiff bat (M. pretiosus)
- Black mastiff bat (M. rufus)
- Sinaloan mastiff bat (M. sinaloae)
- M. trinitatus
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Mops (Greater mastiff bats) | - Subgenus Xiphonycteris
- Spurrell's free-tailed bat (M. spurrelli)
- Dwarf free-tailed bat (M. nanulus)
- Peterson's free-tailed bat (M. petersoni)
- M. leonis
- Sierra Leone free-tailed bat (M. brachyptera)
- M. bakarii
- Railer bat (M. thersites)
- Subgenus Mops
- Angolan free-tailed bat (M. condylurus)
- White-bellied free-tailed bat (M. niveiventer)
- Mongalla free-tailed bat (M. demonstrator)
- Malayan free-tailed bat (M. mops)
- Sulawesi free-tailed bat (M. sarasinorum)
- Trevor's free-tailed bat (M. trevori)
- M. congica
- Midas free-tailed bat (M. midas)
- Niangara free-tailed bat (M. niangarae)
- Medje free-tailed bat (M. congicus)
- M. leucostigma
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Myopterus | - Daubenton's free-tailed bat (M. daubentonii)
- Bini free-tailed bat (M. whitleyi)
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Neoplatymops | - Mato Grosso dog-faced bat (N. mattogrossensis)
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Nyctinomops (New World free-tailed bats) | - Peale's free-tailed bat (N. aurispinosus)
- Pocketed free-tailed bat (N. femorosaccus)
- Broad-eared bat (N. laticaudatus)
- Big free-tailed bat (N. macrotis)
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Otomops (Big-eared free-tailed bats) | - Javan mastiff bat (O. formosus)
- Harrison's large-eared giant mastiff bat (O. harrisoni)
- Johnstone's mastiff bat (O. johnstonei)
- Madagascar free-tailed bat (O. madagascariensis)
- Large-eared free-tailed bat (O. martiensseni)
- Big-eared mastiff bat (O. papuensis)
- Mantled mastiff bat (O. secundus)
- Wroughton's free-tailed bat (O. wroughtoni)
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Platymops | - Peters's flat-headed bat (P. setiger)
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Promops (Domed-palate mastiff bats) | - Big crested mastiff bat (P. centralis)
- P. davisoni
- Brown mastiff bat (P. nasutus)
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Sauromys | - Roberts's flat-headed bat (S. petrophilus)
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Tadarida (Free-tailed bats) | - Egyptian free-tailed bat (T. aegyptiaca)
- White-striped free-tailed bat (T. australis)
- Mexican free-tailed bat (T. brasiliensis)
- Madagascan large free-tailed bat (T. fulminans)
- European free-tailed bat (T. insignis)
- New Guinea free-tailed bat (T. kuboriensis)
- La Touche's free-tailed bat (T. latouchei)
- Kenyan big-eared free-tailed bat (T. lobata)
- European free-tailed bat (T. teniotis)
- African giant free-tailed bat (T. ventralis)
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Taxon identifiers |
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Tadarida ventralis | |
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Nyctinomus ventralis | |
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