Big free-tailed bat

Species of bat

Big free-tailed bat
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Nyctinomops
Species:
N. macrotis
Binomial name
Nyctinomops macrotis
(Gray, 1839)
Synonyms
  • Nyctinomus macrotis Gray, 1839

The big free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops macrotis) is a bat species found in the Americas.

Taxonomy

It was described as a new species in 1839 by British zoologist John Edward Gray. Gray placed it in the now-defunct genus Nyctinomus, with a binomial of Nyctinomus macrotis. The holotype had been collected in Cuba by William Sharp Macleay.[2]

Description

It is the largest member of Nyctinomops,[3] with an average forearm length of 60 mm (2.4 in).[4] Individuals weigh approximately 20.6 g (0.73 oz). It has a wingspan of 417–436 mm (16.4–17.2 in). Its fur is glossy and variable in color, ranging from pale, reddish brown to dark brown or blackish.[4] Its dental formula is 1.1.2.32.1.2.3 for a total of 30 teeth.[3]

Biology and ecology

Based on its wing morphology, it likely has a rapid flight. Its flight speed could exceed 40 km/h (25 mph).[4]

Range and habitat

Its range includes many countries in North, Central, and South America, including: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Suriname, the United States, and Venezuela. It is possibly also found in Uruguay.[1] The individuals documented in Canada and the U.S. states of Iowa and Kansas are considered vagrants or extralimital records. However, the species occurs as a non-vagrant in the U.S. states of Texas, California, Nevada, and Utah.[4] It has been documented at a range of elevations from sea level to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) above sea level.[1]

Conservation

As of 2015, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN, which is its lowest conservation priority.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Barquez, R.; Diaz, M. & Arroyo-Cabrales, J. (2016) [errata version of 2015 assessment]. "Nyctinomops macrotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T14996A97207443. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T14996A22010988.en. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  2. ^ Gray, John Edward (1839). "I.—Descriptions of some Mammalia discovered in Cuba by W. S. MacLeay, Esq. With some account of their Habits, extracted from Mr. Mac Leay's notes". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 4 (21): 1–7. doi:10.1080/00222934009512443.
  3. ^ a b Gardner, A. L. (2008). Mammals of South America, Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats. Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press. pp. 433–434. ISBN 978-0226282428.
  4. ^ a b c d Milner, Janie; Jones, Clyde; Jones, J. Knox (1990). "Nyctinomops macrotis". Mammalian Species (351): 1–4. doi:10.2307/3504187. JSTOR 3504187.
  • v
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Extant species of family Molossidae
Subfamily Molossinae
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)
Subfamily Tomopeatinae
Tomopeas
  • Blunt-eared bat (T. ravus)
Taxon identifiers
Nyctinomops macrotis