The Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera. The Molossidae is the fourth-largest family of bats, containing about 110 species as of 2012. They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong-flying forms with relatively long and narrow wings with wrinkled lips shared through their genus. Their strong flying form allows them to fly 60 miles per hour using tail winds and at altitudes over 10,000 feet. This makes them unique among bats, as they are the only bat family that withstands the elevation. They are widespread, being found on every continent except Antarctica. They are typically found in caves, abandoned mines, or tunnels.

Common ancestry

The family's scientific name comes from the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nomina ...

'' Molossus'', which in turn is from the Molossus breed of dogs. The family's common name is derived from a length of "free" tail, projecting beyond the end of the

uropatagium The patagium (plural: patagia) is a membranous body part that assists an animal in obtaining lift when gliding or flight. The structure is found in extant and extinct groups of flying and gliding animals including bats, birds, some dromaeosau ...

—the membrane that connects the base of the tail to the hind legs. Another common name for some members of this group, and indeed a few species from other families, is mastiff bat. The

western mastiff bat The western mastiff bat (''Eumops perotis''), also known as the western bonneted bat, the greater mastiff bat, or the greater bonneted bat, is a member of the free-tailed bat family, Molossidae. It is found in the Western United States, Mexico a ...

(''Eumops perotis''), a large species from the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...

and

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

with wings over across, is perhaps one of the best known with this name. They are widespread, being found on every continent except Antarctica.

Anatomy

The tail is usually best seen when resting. A special ring of cartilage slides up or down the tail

vertebra The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characterist ...

e by muscular action to stretch or retract the tail membrane. This gives many species a degree of fine tuning in their flight maneuvers to rival their day-flying ecological equivalents, such as

swift Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT ...

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

s, and martins. As a result, these animals include the fastest-flying of all bat species among their number. The

dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolog ...

of free-tailed bats varies between species: Free-tailed bats are usually grey, brown, or black in color, with some exceptions. They range from in length, excluding the tail, and can weigh from , depending on species. They are

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

, and catch their food on the wing. While some species roost in small groups in hollow trees or rocky crevices, some cave-dwelling species form vast colonies of up to 50 million individuals. Molecular sequence data support the

monophyly In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gr ...

of the Molossidae as a whole, but not that of many of its genera, such as ''

Chaerephon Chaerephon (; grc-gre, Χαιρεφῶν, ''Chairephōn''; c. 470/460 – 403/399 BCE), of the Athenian deme Sphettus, was an ancient Greek best remembered as a loyal friend and follower of Socrates. He is known only through brief descriptions ...

'', ''

Mops MOPS (3-(''N''-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid) is a buffer introduced in the 1960s, one of the twenty Good's buffers. It is a structural analog to MES, and like MES, its structure contains a morpholine ring. HEPES is a similar pH buffering ...

'', ''

Mormopterus ''Mormopterus'' is a genus of molossid microchiropterans, small flying mammals referred to as free-tailed bats. The genus has been the subject of several revisions, and the diversity of taxa centred on Australia were separated to a new genus ''O ...

'', and ''

Tadarida The genus ''Tadarida'' has 9 or more species of free-tailed bats divided into two subgenera, with the first of these containing seven species spread across the Old World (including southern Europe and North Africa, large parts of southern Asia, ...

''. The grouping of ''Chaerephon'' minus '' C. jobimena'' plus ''Mops'' was found to be monophyletic, as was ''

Otomops ''Otomops'' is a genus of bat in the family Molossidae. Molecular sequence data supports it as a monophyletic taxon, although not a number of other molossid genera. ''Otomops'' contains the following species: * ''O. formosus'', Javan mastiff ...

''.

Systematics

A 2012 study attempted to show the relationships of genera within the subfamily Molossinae (the other subfamily of Molossidae, Tomopeatinae, only contains the blunt-eared bat). This study used

genetic Genetic may refer to: *Genetics, in biology, the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms **Genetic, used as an adjective, refers to genes ***Genetic disorder, any disorder caused by a genetic mutation, whether inherited or de nov ...

data to create a

phylogeny A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spe ...

, which contrasted from previous phylogenies constructed using morphological data. Traits that were previously used to group species, such as having a flat skull, were shown to have no relation to evolutionary relationship, meaning that flat-headedness evolved multiple times within the family. Of the 16 genera of Molossinae, 15 were used to create the phylogeny (left), with researchers unable to include Peters's flat-headed bat, the only member of '' Platymops''. The results of this study showed that ''

'' is

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

, forming a clade with ''

''. There was strong support for

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by th ...

and

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

clades. While the genus ''

'' has one New World species, the

Mexican free-tailed bat The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has be ...

, the genus itself has its origins in the Old World. The most recent common ancestor of ''Tadarida'' with New World genera was 29 million years ago. Several

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

have been proposed within the Molossinae. Ammerman ''et al.'' proposed Molossini (containing ''Molossus'', ''Eumops'', ''Molossops'', ''Cynomops'', ''Neoplatymops'', ''Nyctinomops'', and ''Promops''); Tadarini (containing ''Tadarida'', ''Chaerephon'', ''Mops'', ''Platymops'', ''Sauromys'', ''Myopterus'', and ''Otomops''); Cheiromelini (containing ''Cheiromeles''); and Mormopterini (containing ''Mormopterus'')

Classification

The 18 genera contain about 100 species: FAMILY MOLOSSIDAE * Genus †'' Cuvierimops'' * Genus †'' Nyctinomus'' * Genus †'' Potamops'' * Genus †'' Rhizomops'' * Genus †''

Wallia Wallia or Walha ( Spanish: ''Walia'', Portuguese ''Vália''), ( 385 – 418) was king of the Visigoths from 415 to 418, earning a reputation as a great warrior and prudent ruler. He was elected to the throne after Athaulf and then Sigeric wer ...

''''Wallia''
at

Fossilworks Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database, a large relational database assembled by hundreds of paleontologists from around the world. History Fossilworks was cre ...

.org * Subfamily Molossinae ** Genus ''

'' – lesser mastiff bats *** Duke of Abruzzi's free-tailed bat, ''Chaerephon aloysiisabaudiae'' ***

Ansorge's free-tailed bat 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 ...

, ''Chaerephon ansorgei'' ***

Gland-tailed free-tailed bat The gland-tailed free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon bemmeleni'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, dry savanna, and caves. Taxonomy and etymology It was described ...

, ''Chaerephon bemmeleni'' ***

Spotted free-tailed bat The spotted free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon bivittatus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe ...

, ''Chaerephon bivittata'' *** Fijian mastiff bat, ''Chaerephon bregullae'' ***

Chapin's free-tailed bat Chapin's free-tailed bat (''Mops chapini'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in central and southern Africa. Description Chapin's free-tailed bat is a relatively small species, measuring in length, including a tail, a ...

, ''Chaerephon chapini'' ***

Gallagher's free-tailed bat Gallagher's free-tailed bat (''Mops gallagheri'') is a free-tailed bat endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Only one individual has ever been documented. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1975 by David Harri ...

, ''Chaerephon gallagheri'' ***

Northern freetail bat The northern freetail bat (''Chaerephon jobensis'') is a species of bat found in Yapen, Seram Island, Western New Guinea and Northern Australia. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1902 by American zoologist Gerrit Smi ...

, ''Chaerephon jobensis'' ***

Black and red free-tailed bat ''Mops jobimena'', commonly known as the black and red free-tailed bat, is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is endemic to western Madagascar. With a forearm length of 45 to 48 mm (1.8 to 1.9 in), Habitat The known habitats of ...

, ''Chaerephon jobimena'' ***

Northern free-tailed bat The northern free-tailed bat (''Mops johorensis'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1873 by Irish zoologist George Edward Dobson. ...

, ''Chaerephon johorensis'' ***

Grandidier's free-tailed bat Grandidier's free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon leucogaster'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and dry savanna. It has at times been considered s ...

, ''Chaerephon leucogaster'' ***

Lappet-eared free-tailed bat The lappet-eared free-tailed bat (''Mops major'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tan ...

, ''Chaerephon major'' ***

Nigerian free-tailed bat The Nigerian free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon 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. Description The Nigerian ...

, ''Chaerephon nigeriae'' ***

Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat The wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon plicatus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Phil ...

, ''Chaerephon plicata'' ***

Little free-tailed bat The little free-tailed bat (''Chaerephon pumilus'') is a species of the genus ''Chaerephon'' in the family Molossidae. It is widely distributed across Africa and islands around the continent. Description The little free-tailed bat is one of t ...

, ''Chaerephon pumilus'' ***

Russet free-tailed bat The russet free-tailed bat (''Mops russatus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, and Kenya. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. ...

, ''Chaerephon russata'' *** Solomons mastiff bat, ''Chaerephon solomonis'' ***

São Tomé free-tailed bat The São Tomé free-tailed bat (''Mops tomensis'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss. O ...

, ''Chaerephon tomensis'' ** Genus ''

Cheiromeles ''Cheiromeles'' is a genus of bats in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. The genus was erected and described by Thomas Horsfield, who developed the name from the Greek word ''cheir'' ("hand"), a reference to the hand-like hindfoot, wh ...

'' – naked bats, or hairless bats *** Greater naked bat, ''Cheiromeles torquatus'' ***

Lesser naked bat The lesser naked bat (''Cheiromeles parvidens'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is native to Indonesia and the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of ...

, ''Cheiromeles parvidens'' ** Genus ''

Cynomops ''Cynomops'' is a genus of Central and South American dog-faced bats in the family Molossidae. It has sometimes been considered a subgenus of ''Molossops''. It contains the following species: * Cinnamon dog-faced bat (''C. abrasus'') * Freema ...

'' ***

Cinnamon dog-faced bat The cinnamon dog-faced bat (''Cynomops abrasus''), is a South American bat species of the family Molossidae. It is found in northern and central South America. Taxonomy The bat belongs to the genus ''Cynomops'', which was recently split from ...

, ''Cynomops abrasus'' ***

Freeman's dog-faced bat The Freeman’s dog-faced bat (''Cynomops freemani''), is a Central American bat species of the family Molossidae. It is endemic to Panama. References Cynomops Mammals described in 2018 Bats of Central America {{Molossidae-stub ...

, ''Cynomops freemani'' ***

Greenhall's dog-faced bat Greenhall's dog-faced bat (''Cynomops greenhalli'') is a South American bat species of the family Molossidae. It is found in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, the Guianas, northeastern Brazil and Trinidad. It is an insect-eating bat, ...

, ''Cynomops greenhalli'' ***

Mexican dog-faced bat The Mexican dog-faced bat (''Cynomops mexicanus'') is a bat species of the family Molossidae from Central America. It is found from Nayarit in Mexico to Costa Rica at elevations up to 1500 m. It was formerly considered a subspecies of '' C. gre ...

, ''Cynomops mexicanus'' ***

Para dog-faced bat The Para dog-faced bat (''Cynomops paranus''), also called the brown dog-faced bat, is a South American bat species of the family Molossidae. It is found in Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, and ...

, ''Cynomops paranus'' ***

Southern dog-faced bat The southern dog-faced bat (''Cynomops planirostris''), is a bat species of the family Molossidae. It is found in northern Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname Suriname (; s ...

, ''Cynomops planirostris'' ** Genus ''

Eumops ''Eumops'' (mastiff bats or bonneted bats) is a genus of bats in the family Molossidae. A total of 17 species of this genus have been described. The name "Eumops" comes from the Greek prefix "Eu-", meaning "good" or "true," and the Malayan wo ...

'' – mastiff bats, or bonneted bats ***

Black bonneted bat The black bonneted bat, also known as Shaw's mastiff bat, (''Eumops auripendulus''), is a species of bat from the Americas. Description The black-bonneted bat is a medium-sized bat, with adults weighing between . The head and back are covered i ...

, ''Eumops auripendulus'' ***

Dwarf bonneted bat The dwarf bonneted bat, or Peters' mastiff bat, (''Eumops bonariensis''), is a bat species from South and Central America. Description As its common name implies, ''E. bonariensis'' is the smallest species of bonneted bat. Adults measure in ...

, ''Eumops bonariensis'' *** Big bonneted bat, ''Eumops dabbenei'' *** Fierce bonneted bat, ''

Eumops ferox ''Eumops ferox'', the fierce bonneted bat or the chestnut mastiff bat, is a species of free-tailed bat found in the Caribbean and Mexico. Until recently, it was synonymous with Wagner's bonneted bat. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as ...

'' ***

Florida bonneted bat The Florida bonneted bat or Florida mastiff bat (''Eumops floridanus'') is a species of bat in the genus ''Eumops'', the bonneted bats or mastiff bats. Until recently, it was classified as a subspecies of Wagner's bonneted bat (''Eumops glaucin ...

, ''Eumops floridanus'' ***

Wagner's bonneted bat Wagner's bonneted bat or Wagner's mastiff batBest, T. L., et al. (1997)''Eumops glaucinus''. ''Mammalian Species'' 551, 1-6. (''Eumops glaucinus''), is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in the Americas from Argentina and Pe ...

, ''Eumops glaucinus'' *** Sanborn's bonneted bat, ''Eumops hansae'' ***

Guianan bonneted bat The Guianan bonneted bat, or Thomas's mastiff bat, (''Eumops maurus'') is a species of free-tailed bat from South America. It is poorly understood, because it is difficult to capture, and may be one of the rarest Neotropical bats. Description The ...

, ''Eumops maurus'' ***

Patagonian bonneted bat The Patagonian bonneted bat (''Eumops patagonicus''), also called the Patagonian dwarf bonneted bat, is a species of free-tailed bat found in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1924 by Br ...

, ''Eumops patagonicus'' ***

Western mastiff bat The western mastiff bat (''Eumops perotis''), also known as the western bonneted bat, the greater mastiff bat, or the greater bonneted bat, is a member of the free-tailed bat family, Molossidae. It is found in the Western United States, Mexico a ...

, ''Eumops perotis'' ***

Colombian bonneted bat The Colombian bonneted bat (''Eumops trumbulli''), also known as Trumbull's bonneted bat, is a bat species found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as ...

, ''Eumops trumbulli'' ***

Underwood's bonneted bat Underwood's bonneted bat (''Eumops underwoodi'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Description Underwood's bonneted bat is sandy brown in color. It is a large bat with a wingspan of 20-22 inches, making it the second-largest bat foun ...

, ''Eumops underwoodi'' *** Wilson's bonneted bat'',

Eumops wilsoni ''Eumops wilsoni'' is a species of bat native to Ecuador and Peru. The bat has a distinct karyotype, sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene, and other distinct genetic markers that distinguish it from closely related bats such as ''Eumop ...

'' ** Genus ''

'' *** Subgenus ''

'' **** Natal free-tailed bat, ''Mormopterus acetabulosus'' **** Moutou's free-tailed bat, ''

Mormopterus francoismoutoui ''Mormopterus francoismoutoui'' is a species of free-tailed bat that is endemic to the island of Réunion, which is east of Madagascar. Taxonomy ''M. francoismoutoui'' was described as a new species in 2008. The holotype had been collected ...

'' ****

Sumatran mastiff bat The Sumatran mastiff bat (''Mormopterus doriae'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is only known from Sumatra in Indonesia. It was described in 1907 and has not been recorded since. Taxonomy and etymology ...

, ''Mormopterus doriae'' **** Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat, ''Mormopterus jugularis'' **** Kalinowski's mastiff bat, ''Mormopterus kalinowskii'' **** Little goblin bat, ''Mormopterus minutus'' **** Incan little mastiff bat, ''Mormopterus phrudus'' *** Subgenus ''

Micronomus ''Micronomus norfolkensis'' is a species of molossid bat, a family of flying mammals. The bat is endemic to Australia, where it occurs from southeastern Queensland to eastern New South Wales. They are the sole species of genus ''Micronomus'' and ...

'' ****

Beccari's mastiff bat Beccari's free-tailed bat (''Ozimops beccarii'') is a species of bat in the free-tailed bat family Molossidae found to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It can be found in several habitat types, including savanna, tropical moist forest, and habitat ...

, ''Mormopterus beccarii'' ****

Bristle-faced free-tailed bat ''Setirostris eleryi'' is a species of small insectivorous bat found in inland eastern Australia. It is the sole species of the molossid genus ''Setirostris'', a name that refers to the coarse bristles on their faces. Earlier common names have ...

, ''Mormopterus eleryi'' **** Loria's mastiff bat, ''Mormopterus loriae'' **** East-coast free-tailed bat, ''Mormopterus norfolkensis'' ****

Southern free-tailed bat ''Ozimops planiceps'' is a small bat in the family Molossidae, native to Australia and Indonesia. Taxonomy The taxonomy of the ''Mormopterus'' species has been a complicated issue for some time. Originally described by Wilhelm Peters in 1881 ...

, ''Mormopterus planiceps'' ** Genus ''

Molossops ''Molossops'' (meaning: false molossus bat) is a genus of bat in the family Molossidae. The four member species are found in nearly every country of South America, with the dwarf dog-faced bat being found in the most countries. It contains ...

'' – broad-faced bats ***

Equatorial dog-faced bat The equatorial dog-faced bat (''Cabreramops aequatorianus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is endemic to Ecuador. They are found in dry, tropical forests. The species is now endangered. The equatorial dog-faced bat feeds on ...

, ''Molossops (Cabreramops) aequatorianus'' ***

Rufous dog-faced bat The rufous dog-faced bat (''Molossops neglectus''), is a bat species found in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru and Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , s ...

, ''Molossops neglectus'' ***

Dwarf dog-faced bat The dwarf dog-faced bat (''Molossops temminckii'') is a species of free-tailed bat from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay, typically at lower elevations. It is one of ...

, ''Molossops temminckii'' ** Genus '' Molossus'' – velvety free-tailed bats *** Alvarez's mastiff bat, ''

Molossus alvarezi ''Molossus alvarezi'', or Alvarez's mastiff bat, is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, native to the Yucatán Peninsula. It lives within a relative homogenous environment within perennial forests, low forests, and a band of xeric ve ...

'' ***

Aztec mastiff bat The Aztec mastiff bat (''Molossus aztecus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is insectivorous. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1860 by Swiss scientist Henri Saussure. Its species name "''aztecu ...

, ''Molossus aztecus'' ***

Barnes' mastiff bat The Coiban mastiff bat (''Molossus coibensis'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Its range extends from Chiapas in southern Mexico to Mato Grosso in Brazil, including Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica and El Salv ...

, ''Molossus barnesi'' ***

Coiban mastiff bat The Coiban mastiff bat (''Molossus coibensis'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Its range extends from Chiapas in southern Mexico to Mato Grosso in Brazil, including Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica and El Salv ...

, ''Molossus coibensis'' ***

Bonda mastiff bat The Bonda mastiff bat or Thomas's mastiff bat (''Molossus currentium''), is a species of mastiff bat from South and Central America. It is named for the town of Bonda, near Santa Marta in Colombia. Description The Bonda mastiff bat is a modera ...

, ''Molossus currentium'' ***

Velvety free-tailed bat The velvety free-tailed bat or Pallas's mastiff bat (''Molossus molossus''), is a bat species in the family Molossidae. Description ''M. molossus'' is a medium-sized bat, with a length of and with a wingspan of . This species is brown in colo ...

, ''Molossus molossus'' ***

Miller's mastiff bat Miller's mastiff bat (''Molossus pretiosus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Distribution Miller’s mastiff bat has a limited distribu ...

, ''Molossus pretiosus'' ***

Black mastiff bat The black mastiff bat (''Molossus rufus'') is a bat species. It ranges from the northern region of South America (excluding Chile), most of Central America (excluding Belize) and parts of southern Mexico. Taxonomy The black mastiff bat was ...

, ''Molossus rufus'' ***

Sinaloan mastiff bat The Sinaloan mastiff bat (''Molossus sinaloae'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Description The Sinaloan mastiff bat is a moderately sized bat, measuring in lengt ...

, ''Molossus sinaloae'' ** Genus ''

'' – greater mastiff bats *** Subgenus ''

Xiphonycteris ''Mops'' (mastiff bats or free-tailed bats) is a genus of bats in the family Molossidae. Molecular sequence data indicates that ''Mops'' and '' Chaerephon'' are not monophyletic taxa. However, the grouping of ''Chaerephon'' and ''Mops'' was foun ...

'' ****

Spurrell's free-tailed bat Spurrell's free-tailed bat (''Mops spurrelli'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae named after Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell. It is found in Central and West Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subt ...

, ''Mops spurrelli'' ****

Dwarf free-tailed bat The dwarf free-tailed bat (''Mops nanulus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and ...

, ''Mops nanulus'' ****

Peterson's free-tailed bat Peterson's free-tailed bat (''Mops petersoni'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Cameroon and Ghana, and its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest ...

, ''Mops petersoni'' ****

Sierra Leone free-tailed bat The Sierra Leone free-tailed bat (''Mops brachypterus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tan ...

, ''Mops brachypterus'' **** Bakari's free-tailed bat, ''Mops bakarii'' ****

Railer bat The Railer bat (''Mops thersites'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, K ...

, ''Mops thersites'' *** Subgenus ''

'' **** Angolan free-tailed bat, ''Mops condylurus'' ****

White-bellied free-tailed bat The white-bellied free-tailed bat (''Mops niveiventer'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest ...

, ''Mops niveiventer'' ****

Mongalla free-tailed bat The Mongalla free-tailed bat (''Mops demonstrator'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Sudan, and Uganda. Its natural habitats ...

, ''Mops demonstrator'' ****

Malayan free-tailed bat The Malayan free-tailed bat (''Mops mops'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of St ...

, ''Mops mops'' ****

Sulawesi free-tailed bat The Sulawesi free-tailed bat (''Mops sarasinorum'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Indonesia and the Philippines. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1899 by German biologist Christian Eric ...

, ''Mops sarasinorum'' ****

Trevor's free-tailed bat The Trevor's free-tailed bat (''Mops trevori'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Central and West Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and moist savanna. Taxonomy and etymology It was ...

, ''Mops trevori'' ****

Medje free-tailed bat The Medje free-tailed bat (''Mops congicus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tr ...

, ''Mops congicus'' ****

Midas free-tailed bat The Midas free-tailed bat (''Mops midas'') is a species of bat scientifically classified in the order Chiroptera and the family Molossidae. It is distributed from western Africa to Saudi Arabia and further south. Its natural habitats are dry sav ...

, ''Mops midas'' ****

Niangara free-tailed bat The Niangara free-tailed bat or Niangara mops bat (''Mops niangarae'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae known only from its holotype. It is endemic to Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is either moist tropical for ...

, ''Mops niangarae'' ****

, ''Mops congicus'' ****

Malagasy white-bellied free-tailed bat The Malagasy white-bellied free-tailed bat (''Mops leucostigma'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Mada ...

, ''Mops leucostigma'' ** Genus ''

Myopterus African free-tailed bats (''Myopterus'') are a genus of bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true a ...

'' ***

Daubenton's free-tailed bat The Daubenton's free-tailed bat or Daubenton's winged-mouse bat (''Myopterus daubentonii'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. Its ...

, ''Myopterus daubentonii'' ***

Bini free-tailed bat The Bini free-tailed bat (''Myopterus whitleyi'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae found in West and Central Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Taxonomy The Bini free-tailed bat was des ...

, ''Myopterus whitleyi'' ** Genus ''

Nyctinomops ''Nyctinomops'' is a genus of bats in the family Molossidae. References Bat genera Taxa named by Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. {{Molossidae-stub ...

'' – New World free-tailed bats ***

Peale's free-tailed bat Peale's free-tailed bat (''Nyctinomops aurispinosus'') is a bat species from South and Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United Stat ...

, ''Nyctinomops aurispinosus'' ***

Pocketed free-tailed bat The pocketed free-tailed bat (''Nyctinomops femorosaccus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae found in Mexico and in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States. They resemble the Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tada ...

, ''Nyctinomops femorosaccus'' *** Broad-eared bat, ''Nyctinomops laticaudatus'' ***

Big free-tailed bat 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 ...

, ''Nyctinomops macrotis'' ** Genus '' Neoplatymops'' ***

Mato Grosso dog-faced bat The Mato Grosso dog-faced bat (''Neoplatymops mattogrossensis''), is a bat species found in South America. It is the only species in the genus ''Neoplatymops''. Taxonomy and etymology It was described as a new species in 1942 by C. O. C. Vie ...

, ''Neoplatymops mattogrossensis'' ** Genus ''

'' – big-eared free-tailed bats ***

Javan mastiff bat The Javan mastiff bat (''Otomops formosus'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae that is endemic to Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and ...

, ''Otomops formosus'' ***

Johnstone's mastiff bat Johnstone's mastiff bat (''Otomops johnstonei'') is a species of bat in the Molossidae family endemic to Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Paci ...

, ''Otomops johnstonei'' ***

Madagascar free-tailed bat The Madagascar free-tailed bat or Malagasy giant mastiff bat (''Otomops madagascariensis'') is a species of free-tailed bat formerly included as a subspecies of the large-eared free-tailed bat, but that was later considered to be a distinct, Mal ...

, ''Otomops madagascariensis'' ***

Large-eared free-tailed bat The large-eared free-tailed bat (''Otomops martiensseni'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae native to Africa. It is found in Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghan ...

, ''Otomops martiensseni'' ***

Big-eared mastiff bat The big-eared mastiff bat (''Otomops papuensis'') is a species of bat in the Molossidae family endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is only known from eleven specimens and it is not easy to survey. It forages in rainforest canopy and roosts in tree ...

, ''Otomops papuensis'' ***

Mantled mastiff bat The mantled mastiff bat (''Otomops secundus'') is a species of bat in the Molossidae family endemic to Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State ...

, ''Otomops secundus'' ***

Wroughton's free-tailed bat Wroughton's free-tailed bat (''Otomops wroughtoni'') is a free-tailed bat formerly considered to be confined to the Western Ghats area of India, though it has also recently been discovered in northeast India and in a remote part of Cambodi ...

, ''Otomops wroughtoni'' ** Genus '' Platymops'' *** Peters's flat-headed bat, ''Platymops setiger'' ** Genus ''

Promops ''Promops'' is a genus of free-tailed bats. Species * ''Promops centralis'' - big crested mastiff bat * ''Promops davisoni'' * ''Promops nasutus The brown mastiff bat (''Promops nasutus''), is a bat species found in Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyan ...

'' – domed-palate mastiff bats *** Big crested mastiff bat, ''Promops centralis'' *** Brown mastiff bat, ''Promops nasutus'' ** Genus ''

Sauromys Roberts's flat-headed bat (''Sauromys petrophilus'') is a species of free-tailed bat native to southern Africa. It is the only species in the genus ''Sauromys''. The scientific name translates as "rock loving lizard-mouse", while the common name ...

'' ***

Roberts's flat-headed bat Roberts's flat-headed bat (''Sauromys petrophilus'') is a species of free-tailed bat native to southern Africa. It is the only species in the genus ''Sauromys''. The scientific name translates as "rock loving lizard-mouse", while the common name ...

, ''Sauromys petrophilus'' ** Genus ''

'' – free-tailed bats ***

Egyptian free-tailed bat The Egyptian free-tailed bat, also known as Egyptian guano bat or Egyptian nyctinome, (''Tadarida aegyptiaca'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Description The Egyptian free-tailed bat has fine, dense fur which is greyish brown, s ...

, ''Tadarida aegyptiaca'' ***

, ''Tadarida brasiliensis'' ***

Madagascan large free-tailed bat The Madagascan large free-tailed bat (''Tadarida fulminans'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its nat ...

, ''Tadarida fulminans'' ***

East Asian free-tailed bat The East Asian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida insignis'') was formerly considered to belong to the same species as the European free-tailed bat. Its range includes China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. Taxonomy It was described as a new species ...

, ''Tadarida insignis'' ***

La Touche's free-tailed bat The La Touche's free-tailed bat (''Tadarida latouchei'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in China, Japan, and Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a ...

, ''Tadarida latouchei'' ***

Kenyan big-eared free-tailed bat The Kenyan big-eared free-tailed bat (''Tadarida lobata'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is dry savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy ...

, ''Tadarida lobata'' ***

European free-tailed bat The European free-tailed bat (''Tadarida teniotis'', sometimes given as ''Tadarida insignis'') is a species of free-tailed bat found in the Old World. Other common names include the bulldog bat and the mastiff bat because of the presence of wrin ...

, ''Tadarida teniotis'' ***

African giant free-tailed bat 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 ...

, ''Tadarida ventralis'' ** Genus ''

Austronomus ''Austronomus'', known as Australasian free-tailed bats, is a molossid genus of microchiropterans. The two recognised species are the white-striped ''Austronomus australis'', found in a wide distribution range across Australia, and the New Guinea ...

'' ***

White-striped free-tailed bat The white-striped free-tailed bat (''Austronomus australis'') is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. Its echolocation calls are audible to humans, which is a characteristic found in only a few microbat species. The species was formerly c ...

, ''Austronomus australis'' ***

New Guinea free-tailed bat The New Guinea free-tailed bat (''Austronomus kuboriensis''), sometimes designated the New Guinea mastiff bat, is a species of free-tailed bat that inhabits the Chimbu highlands of Papua New Guinea. Although Koopman described ''A. kuboriensis' ...

, ''Austronomus kuboriensis'' * Subfamily Tomopeatinae ** Genus ''Tomopeas'' *** Blunt-eared bat, ''Tomopeas ravus''

Common ancestry

Anatomy

Systematics

Classification

References

Further reading