| Big crested mastiff bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Molossidae |
| Genus: | Promops |
| Species: | P. centralis |
| Binomial name | |
| Promops centralis Thomas, 1915 | |
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| Big crested mastiff bat range | |
The big crested mastiff bat (Promops centralis) is a species of bat native to Central and South America.
It was described as a new species in 1915 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. The holotype was collected by George F. Gaumer, and presented to Thomas by Osbert Salvin. [2]
It can be differentiated from the other species of Promops , the brown mastiff bat, by its longer forearm. The brown mastiff bat has a forearm length less than 50 mm (2.0 in), while the big crested mastiff bat has one greater than 51.5 mm (2.03 in). It has a dental formula of 1.1.2.32.1.2.3 for a total of 30 teeth. [3]
It is a social animal, roosting in small colonies of up to 6 individuals during the day. These roosts consist of the space underneath tree bark, the undersides of palm leaves, or tree hollows. [3] Its search calls have an average duration of 20.6 ms, with a starting frequency of 23.0 kHz, an ending frequency of 25.6 kHz, and a peak frequency of 24.7 kHz. [4]
The big crested mastiff bat is found in Central and South America. It is found in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. It is found at a range of elevations, from sea level to 1,800 m (5,900 ft). [1]
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.
The lesser ghost bat is a bat species found in South America. It is one of six bat species worldwide to have white fur.
The Colombian bonneted bat, also known as Trumbull's bonneted bat, is a bat species found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
The dwarf dog-faced bat 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 two species in the genus Molossops, the other being the rufous dog-faced bat. Three subspecies are often recognized, though mammalogist Judith Eger considers it monotypic with no subspecies. It is a small free-tailed bat, with a forearm length of 28.9–32.5 mm (1.14–1.28 in) and a weight of 5–8 g (0.18–0.28 oz); males are larger than females. It is brown, with paler belly fur and darker back fur. Its wings are unusual for a free-tailed bat, with exceptionally broad wingtips. Additionally, it has low wing loading, meaning that it has a large wing surface area relative to its body weight. Therefore, it flies more similarly to a vesper bat than to other species in its own family. As it forages at night for its insect prey, including moths, beetles, and others, it uses two kinds of frequency-modulated echolocation calls: one type is to navigate in open areas and to search for prey, while the other type is used for navigating in cluttered areas or while approaching a prey item.
The Bismarck trumpet-eared bat, also known as the Manus Island woolly bat, is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in subtropical or tropical dry forests.
Findley's myotis is a species of vesper bat. It is found only on the Tres Marías Islands off the west coast of Mexico.
The southern forest bat is a vesper bat found in Australia.
The fraternal fruit-eating bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae that is found in drier habitats in Ecuador and Peru. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Jamaican fruit bat, but was raised to species level in 1978. The smallest species in the group of large Artibeus, it has a forearm length of 52–59 mm (2.0–2.3 in), a total length of 64–76 mm (2.5–3.0 in), and a weight of 30–55 g (1.1–1.9 oz).
The big-eared mastiff bat 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 hollows. It is likely more widespread than currently known but additional research is needed.
The bidentate yellow-shouldered bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in South America.
The white-striped free-tailed bat 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 classified as Tadarida australis.
The Guadalcanal monkey-faced bat or Guadalcanal flying monkey is a megabat endemic to Solomon Islands. It is listed as an endangered species. In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation.
The Thomas's shaggy bat is a bat species from Central and South America. It was previously included in the shaggy bat but Simmons and Handley (1998) showed that the species were distinct.
Nyctophilus daedalus is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae, a flying mammal endemic to northern Australia. They are also referred to as the pallid long-eared bat or northern long-eared bat.
Smithers's horseshoe bat is a species of horseshoe bat found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was described as a new species in 2012.
Thomas's big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat found in South America.
Eumops nanus is a species of bat found in Central and South America.
Hipposideros atrox, commonly known as the lesser bicolored leaf-nosed bat, is a species of bat found in Southeast Asia. Originally described as a subspecies in 1918, it was recognized as a full species in 2010. It uses echolocation to navigate and find prey, and roosts in caves during the day.
Pendlebury's roundleaf bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It was previously considered a subspecies of H. turpis, but has now been raised to full species level. It is endemic to Thailand and is found in limestone karst areas.
Promops davisoni is a species of free-tailed bat in the family Molossidae. It was first described by Oldfield Thomas in 1921. While thought of as a subspecies of the big crested mastiff bat by scientists from roughly 1966 to 2010, morphological and geographical differences between P. davisoni and P. centralis are sufficiently suggestive of another species. P. davisoni is small for its genus, with a forearm length of 47.6 to 52.0 millimetres, and is light or cinnamon brown with distinguishable white bands on its back. P. davisoni is native to the Andes mountain range in Ecuador and Peru. More recently, evidence has been found that P. davisoni resides in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
