Black mastiff bat

Species of bat

Black mastiff 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: Molossus
Species:
M. rufus
Binomial name
Molossus rufus
Black mastiff bat range
Synonyms

Molossus ater

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 described as a new species in 1805 by French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.[2] The holotype had been collected in Cayenne, French Guiana.[3]

Description

Males have a forearm length ranging from 48.5–54.0 mm (1.91–2.13 in) and females' forearm lengths are 47–53 mm (1.9–2.1 in). The fur of its back is usually shorter than 3.5 mm (0.14 in).[4] Individuals weight 27–31 g (0.95–1.09 oz). It has a dental formula of 1.1.1.31.1.2.3 for a total of 26 teeth.[5]

Range and habitat

The black mastiff bat is a widespread species, occurring throughout much of Central and South America. Its range includes the following countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. Its habitat includes forests and shrublands, with human structures used as roosts.[1]

Conservation

As of 2015, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification because it has a wide geographic range; its population is presumably large; and it is unlikely to be experiencing rapid population decline.[1] The species is known to be impacted by the polyctenid parasitic bug Hesperoctenes fumarius.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Barquez, R.; Rodriguez, B.; Miller, B.; Diaz, M. (2015). "Molossus rufus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T13644A22107969. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T13644A22107969.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, É. "Sur quelques chauve-souris d' Amérique formant une petite famille sous le nom de molossus" [On some American bats forming a small family under the name of molossus]. Annales du Muséum d'histoire naturelle (in French). 6: 155.
  3. ^ Miller, G. S. (1913). "Notes on the bats of the genus Molossus". Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum. 46 (2013): 88. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.46-2013.85. hdl:2027/hvd.32044107356982.
  4. ^ Gardner, A. L. (2008). Mammals of South America, Volume 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats. Vol. 1. University of Chicago Press. pp. 419–426. ISBN 978-0226282428.
  5. ^ Santos G., Mery; Castro-Arellano, Ivan (2014). Ceballos, G. (ed.). Mammals of Mexico. Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 770–771. ISBN 978-1421408798.
  6. ^ Esbérard, Carlos E. L.; Jesus, Andrea C.; Motta, Adarene G.; Bergallo, Helena G.; Gettinger, Donald (April 2005). "Hesperoctenes fumarius (Hemiptera: Polyctenidae) Infesting Molossus rufus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Southeastern Brazil". Journal of Parasitology. 91 (2): 465–467. doi:10.1645/GE-365R. ISSN 0022-3395. PMID 15986628. S2CID 28877685.
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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
Molossus rufus