Species of bat
Ansorge's free-tailed bat |
|
Conservation status |
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg/220px-Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg.png) Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] |
Scientific classification |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Molossidae |
Genus: | Mops |
Species: | M. ansorgei |
Binomial name |
Mops ansorgei
(Thomas, 1913) |
Synonyms |
Tadarida ansorgei |
Ansorge's free-tailed bat (Mops ansorgei) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for W.J. Ansorge, who collected the first formally described specimen.
Description
Ansorge's free-tailed bat is one of the smaller members of its genus, measuring 7 to 12 cm (2.8 to 4.7 in) in total length, and with a wingspan of about 33 cm (13 in). Adults weigh an average of 16 g (0.56 oz), although males are slightly heavier than females. The fur is short, chocolate brown on the upper parts of the body, and lighter brown beneath. The fur on the throat is darker than on the rest of the body, sometimes almost blackish in colour, especially in males.[2]
The wings are adapted for fast flight, rather than manoeuvrability, and have light brown, translucent, membranes. There is a smooth pad at the base of the first wing finger, which may help the bat when it is climbing. About two thirds of the 4 cm (1.6 in) tail extends beyond the margin of the uropatagium. The ears are only moderately long, but are broad, and can be laid flat against the head when the bat is flying. The lips are wrinkled at rest, but are stretched outward during flight, so as to be able to catch a greater number of insects.[2]
Distribution and habitat
In the north, Ansorge's free-tailed bat is found in a belt from Ivory Coast in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and across east Africa from Ethiopia and South Sudan to northeastern South Africa, as well as further west through Zambia into northeastern Angola. Throughout this wide range, it is generally found only in dry woodland savannah.[1] No subspecies are recognised.
Biology and behaviour
Ansorge's free-tailed bat is nocturnal and feeds on flying insects. It uses long, high intensity, low frequency calls for echolocation,[3] and are said to be noisy, squeaking loudly when approached. In their natural habitat, they spend the day roosting in crevices in cliff faces, sometimes over 60 m (200 ft) above the ground, but they also roost in artificial structures such as beneath the roofs of houses.[2] Roosts are colonial, with several hundred bats in each group, often sharing space with Madagascan large free-tailed bats.[4]
References
- ^ a b Monadjem, A.; Cotterill, F.P.D.; Hutson, A.M.; Mickleburgh, S.; Bergmans, W. (2017). "Mops ansorgei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T4306A22020564. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T4306A22020564.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Bouchard, S. (2001). "Chaerephon ansorgei" (PDF). Mammalian Species (660): 1–3. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2001)660<0001:ca>2.0.co;2. S2CID 198968508.
- ^ Fenton, M.B.; Bell, G.P. (1981). "Recognition of species of insectivorous bats by their echolocation calls". Journal of Mammalogy. 62 (2): 233–243. doi:10.2307/1380701. JSTOR 1380701.
- ^ Cotterill, F.D.P.; Fergusson, R.A. (1993). "Capturing freetailed bats (Chiroptera: Molossidae): the description of a new trapping device". Journal of Zoology. 231 (4): 645–651. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1993.tb01945.x.
|
|
---|
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)
|
---|
Cheiromeles (Naked bats) | |
---|
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)
|
---|
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
|
---|
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
|
---|
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)
|
---|
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
|
---|
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
|
---|
Myopterus | - Daubenton's free-tailed bat (M. daubentonii)
- Bini free-tailed bat (M. whitleyi)
|
---|
Neoplatymops | - Mato Grosso dog-faced bat (N. mattogrossensis)
|
---|
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)
|
---|
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)
|
---|
Platymops | - Peters's flat-headed bat (P. setiger)
|
---|
Promops (Domed-palate mastiff bats) | - Big crested mastiff bat (P. centralis)
- P. davisoni
- Brown mastiff bat (P. nasutus)
|
---|
Sauromys | - Roberts's flat-headed bat (S. petrophilus)
|
---|
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)
|
---|
|
|
|
Taxon identifiers |
---|
Chaerephon ansorgei | |
---|
Nyctinomus ansorgei | |
---|