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.
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, which has a toe that flexes like an opposable thumb. These bats have mostly hairless bodies and fold their wings into pouches of skin along their bodies when at rest. These are among the largest insectivorous bats, weighing up to 135 grams.
The delicate slender opossum is a small pouchless marsupial of the family Didelphidae that occurs in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and adjacent Venezuela and Brazil. Marmosops pinheiroi, Marmosops bishopi and Marmosops juninensis had long been considered to represent the same species, until parvidens and pinheiroi were found in sympatry in French Guiana. This species is found in moist primary tropical rainforest at elevations up to 2000 m. It is nocturnal and partially arboreal, and feeds on insects and fruit.
The lesser yellow bat is a vesper bat found only on Madagascar and Réunion. On Réunion, it was considered common early in the 19th century, but was last sighted late in the 19th century. Only a single specimen attributed to this species, collected in 1868, is known from Madagascar. It was listed as a critically endangered species in 1996 due to habitat loss, and may be extinct.
The Utah prairie dog is the smallest species of prairie dog endemic to the south-central steppes of the US state of Utah.
The hairless bat, also called the naked bulldog bat and greater naked bat, is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. The generic name Cheiromeles comes from the Greek word cheir and the species name is derived from the Latin torques.
Sturnira known as a yellow-shouldered bat or American epauleted bat, is a genus of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. The genus name comes from the Latin for "starling" and refers to HMS Starling, which took part in an 1836 voyage to Brazil during which the type specimen was collected. It contains the following species:
The Lethrinops red flush is a species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi where it is found over sandy substrates in the southern portion of the lake. This species grows to a length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in) SL.
Sturnira parvidens is a species of leaf-nosed bat found in Central America.
