Species of bat
| Nigerian free-tailed bat |
 |
Conservation status |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] |
Scientific classification  |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Molossidae |
| Genus: | Mops |
| Species: | M. nigeriae |
| Binomial name |
Mops nigeriae
Thomas, 1913 |
| Subspecies |
| M. nigeriae nigeriae
M. nigeriae spillmanni |
| Synonyms |
| Tadarida nigeriae |
The Nigerian free-tailed bat (Mops nigeriae) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is native to two widely separated parts of Africa, and is sometimes considered to represent two separate species.[1][2]
Description
The Nigerian free-tailed bat is one of the larger lesser mastiff bats, measuring about 11 cm (4.3 in) in body length, with a 4 cm (1.6 in) tail. It has very dark brown fur, with bands of white hair on the lower surfaces of the wings join the body. The wings and the membranes between the legs are white and translucent. The head is flattened in shape, with large round ears connected by a band of skin rolled over into a ridge. Males have a crest of hair behind this ridge, which they can raise, apparently as a display to females.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The Nigerian free-tailed bat has two subspecies, found in distinct regions of Africa. The nominate subspecies, N. nigeriae nigeriae, is found in a band of territory running from Sierra Leone in the west to extreme northern Congo in the east, and occasionally as far east as Ethiopia. A more southerly subspecies, N. nigeriae spillmanni, is found from the southernmost parts of Congo to Botswana and from Angola to Tanzania and Malawi. Within these regions, it is found in savannah woodlands and on the partially cleared margins of tropical rainforests.[1]
Biology and behaviour
The Nigerian free-tailed bat is nocturnal, and feeds on insects. It spends the day roosting in groups of about ten to fifteen adults, typically in hollow trees or under bark. Breeding occurs around the beginning of the rainy season, with young being born between June and August in the north, and around December in the south.[2]
The digestive tract of Nigerian free-tailed bats is somewhat unusual. There is a large glandular sac attached to the duodenum, which is lined by Brunner's glands, and secretes alkaline mucus into the intestine to neutralise excess acid from the stomach. The bat also lacks a colon, with the small intestine opening directly into the short rectum.[3]
References
- ^ a b c Monadjem, A.; Bergmans, W.; Hutson, A.M.; Cotterill, F.P.D.; Mickleburgh, S. (2017). "Chaerephon nigeriae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T4315A22018693. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T4315A22018693.en. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Willis, C.K.R.; et al. (2002). "Chaerephon nigeriae". Mammalian Species. 710: Number 710: pp. 1–3. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2002)710<0001:CN>2.0.CO;2. S2CID 198968810.
- ^ Okon, E.E. (1977). "Functional Anatomy of the Alimentary Canal in the Fruit Bat, Eidolon helvum, and the Insect Bat, Tadarida nigeriae". Acta Zoologica. 58 (2): 83–93. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6395.1977.tb00242.x.
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Subfamily Molossinae |
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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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| Chaerephon nigeriae | |
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