List of molossids

Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Molossidae is one of the twenty families of bats in the mammalian order Chiroptera and part of the microbat suborder. Members of this family are called a molossid, or a free-tailed bat. They are named for their tail, which extends past the uropatagium, a membrane that connects the legs of bats. ^[1] They are found in all continents besides Antarctica, primarily in caves, forests, savannas, and shrublands, though some species can also be found in deserts, rocky areas, or coastal areas. They range in size from the blunt-eared bat, at 3 cm (1 in) plus a 2 cm (1 in) tail, to the hairless bat, at 18 cm (7 in) plus a 8 cm (3 in) tail. Like all bats, molossids are capable of true and sustained flight, and have forearm lengths ranging from 2 cm (1 in) for many species to 9 cm (4 in) in the hairless bat, big bonneted bat, and western mastiff bat. They are all insectivorous and eat a variety of insects and spiders. ^[1] Almost no molossids have population estimates, though the Mexican free-tailed bat is estimated to have a population of nearly 100 million, as one of the most numerous mammals in the world, ^[2] while seven species—the blunt-eared bat, equatorial dog-faced bat, Fijian mastiff bat, La Touche's free-tailed bat, Natal free-tailed bat, São Tomé free-tailed bat, and Solomons mastiff bat—are categorized as endangered species, with populations as low as 200.

The 120 extant species of Molossidae are divided between two subfamilies, Molossinae and Tomopeatinae. Molossinae contains 119 species grouped into 18 genera, while Tomopeatinae contains only a single species. A few extinct prehistoric molossid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed. ^[3]

Conventions

IUCN Red List categories

Conservation status
EX	Extinct (0 species)
EW	Extinct in the wild (0 species)
CR	Critically endangered (0 species)
EN	Endangered (7 species)
VU	Vulnerable (6 species)
NT	Near threatened (5 species)
LC	Least concern (77 species)
Other categories
DD	Data deficient (24 species)
NE	Not evaluated (1 species)

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the molossid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.

Classification

The family Molossidae consists of two subfamilies: Molossinae, containing 119 species divided into 18 genera, and Tomopeatinae, which consists of a single species.

Family Molossidae

• Subfamily Molossinae
  • Genus Austronomus (Australasian free-tailed bats): two species
  • Genus Cheiromeles (naked bats): two species
  • Genus Cynomops (dog-faced bats): six species
  • Genus Eumops (bonneted bats): fifteen species
  • Genus Micronomus (east-coast free-tailed bat): one species
  • Genus Molossops (dog-faced bats): four species
  • Genus Molossus (velvety free-tailed bats): nine species
  • Genus Mops (free-tailed bats): thirty-six species
  • Genus Mormopterus (little mastiff bats): seven species
  • Genus Myopterus (African free-tailed bats): two species
  • Genus Nyctinomops (free-tailed bats): four species
  • Genus Otomops (mastiff bats): eight species
  • Genus Ozimops (Australian free-tailed bats): nine species
  • Genus Platymops (Peters's flat-headed bat): one species
  • Genus Promops (mastiff bats): three species
  • Genus Sauromys (Roberts's flat-headed bat): one species
  • Genus Setirostris (hairy-nosed free-tailed bat): one species
  • Genus Tadarida (guano bats): eight species
• Subfamily Tomopeatinae
  • Genus Tomopeas (blunt-eared bat): one species

Molossidae [4] Molossinae Cheiromeles Mormopterus Ozimops Platymops Micronomus Setirostris Austronomus Sauromys Tadarida Myopterus Chaerephon Chaerephon Mops Otomops Nyctinomops Cynomops Molossops Molossus Promops Eumops Tomopeatinae Tomopeas

Molossids

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists. ^[5]

Subfamily Molossinae

Main article: Molossinae

Genus Austronomus – Troughton, 1944 – two species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
White-striped free-tailed bat	A. australis Gray, 1838	Australia	Size: 8–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert [7]	LC  Unknown [7]
New Guinea free-tailed bat	A. kuboriensis (McKean & Calaby, 1968)	New Guinea	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail 5–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and grassland [8]	LC  Unknown [8]

Genus Cheiromeles – Horsfield, 1824 – two species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Hairless bat	C. torquatus Horsfield, 1824	Southeastern Asia	Size: 12–18 cm (5–7 in), plus 6–8 cm (2–3 in) tail 6–9 cm (2–4 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest and caves [10]	LC  Unknown [10]
Lesser naked bat	C. parvidens Miller & Hollister, 1921	Indonesia and the Philippines	Size: 10–12 cm (4–5 in), plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 6–8 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Caves and forest [11]	LC  Unknown [11]

Genus Cynomops – Thomas, 1920 – six species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Cinnamon dog-faced bat	C. abrasus Temminck, 1827	South America	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [13]	DD  Unknown [13]
Greenhall's dog-faced bat	C. greenhalli Goodwin, 1958	Northern South America	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [14]	LC  Unknown [14]
Mexican dog-faced bat	C. mexicanus Jones & Genoways, 1967	Scattered Mexico and Central America	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [15]	LC  Unknown [15]
Miller's dog-faced bat	C. milleri (Osgood, 1914)	Northwestern and central South America	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [16]	LC  Unknown [16]
Para dog-faced bat	C. paranus Peters, 1866	Northern and central South America	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 2–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [17]	DD  Unknown [17]
Southern dog-faced bat	C. planirostris Peters, 1866	South America	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 2–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [18]	LC  Unknown [18]

Genus Eumops – Miller, 1906 – fifteen species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Big bonneted bat	E. dabbenei Thomas, 1914	South America	Size: 7–12 cm (3–5 in), plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 7–9 cm (3–4 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and savanna [20]	LC  Unknown [20]
Black bonneted bat	E. auripendulus Shaw, 1800 Two subspecies E. a. auripendulus E. a. major	South America, Central America, and southern Mexico	Size: 7–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and savanna [21]	LC  Unknown [21]
Colombian bonneted bat	E. trumbulli (Thomas, 1901)	North-central South America	Size: 9–13 cm (4–5 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 6–8 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and rocky areas [22]	LC  Unknown [22]
Delta bonneted bat	E. delticus Thomas, 1923	Northern South America	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [23]	DD  Unknown [23]
Dwarf bonneted bat	E. bonariensis Peters, 1867	South America, Central America, and southern Mexico	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [24]	LC  Unknown [24]
Fierce bonneted bat	E. ferox Gundlach, 1861	Central America, Cuba, and southern Mexico	Size: 7–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [25]	LC  Unknown [25]
Florida bonneted bat	E. floridanus (Allen, 1932)	Southern Florida	Size: 7–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 6–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [26]	VU  3,000–5,000 [26]
Guianan bonneted bat	E. maurus Thomas, 1901	Scattered northern South America	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Savanna and forest [27]	DD  Unknown [27]
Northern dwarf bonneted bat	E. nanus Miller, 1900	Northern South America, Central America, and southern Mexico	Size: 4–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [28]	LC  Unknown [28]
Patagonian bonneted bat	E. patagonicus Thomas, 1924	South-central South America	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [29]	LC  Unknown [29]
Sanborn's bonneted bat	E. hansae Sanborn, 1932	South America, Central America, and southern Mexico	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and coastal marine [30]	LC  Unknown [30]
Underwood's bonneted bat	E. underwoodi Goodwin, 1940	Southern North America and Central America	Size: 8–12 cm (3–5 in), plus 4–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 6–8 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and desert [31]	LC  Unknown [31]
Wagner's bonneted bat	E. glaucinus Wagner, 1843 Two subspecies E. g. floridanus E. g. glaucinus	South America, Central America, and southern Mexico	Size: 8–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [32]	LC  Unknown [32]
Western mastiff bat	E. perotis Schinz, 1821	South America and southwestern North America	Size: 10–12 cm (4–5 in), plus 5–8 cm (2–3 in) tail 7–9 cm (3–4 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and caves [33]	LC  Unknown [33]
Wilson's bonneted bat	E. wilsoni Baker, McDonough, Swier, Larsen, Carrera, & Ammerman, 2009	Ecuador and Peru	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail 5–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [34]	DD  Unknown [34]

Genus Micronomus – Gray, 1839 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
East-coast free-tailed bat	M. norfolkensis J. E. Gray, 1839	Eastern Australia	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and shrubland [35]	NT  10,000–11,000 [35]

Genus Molossops – Peters, 1865 – four species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Dwarf dog-faced bat	M. temminckii Tullberg, 1893	South America	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 1–3 cm (0–1 in) tail 2–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [36]	LC  Unknown [36]
Equatorial dog-faced bat	M. aequatorianus A. Cabrera, 1917	Ecuador	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [37]	EN  Unknown [37]
Mato Grosso dog-faced bat	M. mattogrossensis Vieira, 1942	Northern South America	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–3 cm (1 in) tail 2–3 cm (1 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest and rocky areas [38]	LC  Unknown [38]
Rufous dog-faced bat	M. neglectus Williams & Genoways, 1980	South America	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Unknown [39]	DD  Unknown [39]

Genus Molossus – Geoffroy, 1805 – nine species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Alvarez's mastiff bat	M. alvarezi González-Ruiz, Ramírez-Pulido, & Arroyo-Cabrales, 2011	Yucatán Peninsula	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest [40]	DD  Unknown [40]
Aztec mastiff bat	M. aztecus Saussure, 1860	Scattered Mexico and Central America	Size: 5–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest [41]	LC  Unknown [41]
Black mastiff bat	M. rufus Geoffroy, 1805	Mexico, Central America, and South America	Size: Unknown [9] Habitat: Forest and shrubland [42]	LC  Unknown [42]
Bonda mastiff bat	M. bondae Allen, 1904	Central America and northern South America	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and shrubland [43]	LC  Unknown [43]
Coiban mastiff bat	M. coibensis Allen, 1904	Northern South America and Central America	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest [44]	LC  Unknown [44]
Miller's mastiff bat	M. pretiosus Miller, 1902	Southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America	Size: 7–8 cm (3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest and caves [45]	LC  Unknown [45]
Sinaloan mastiff bat	M. sinaloae Allen, 1906 Two subspecies M. s. sinaloae M. s. trinitatus	Southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest and caves [46]	LC  Unknown [46]
Thomas's mastiff bat	M. currentium Thomas, 1900	South-central South America	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and grassland [47]	LC  Unknown [47]
Velvety free-tailed bat	M. molossus (Pallas, 1766) Six subspecies M. m. daulensis M. m. debilis M. m. fortis M. m. milleri M. m. molossus M. m. tropidorhynchus	Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, and South America	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest [48]	LC  Unknown [48]

Genus Mops – Lesson, 1842 – 36 species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Angolan free-tailed bat	M. condylurus Smith, 1833	Sub-Saharan Africa	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Savanna [50]	LC  Unknown [50]
Ansorge's free-tailed bat	M. ansorgei (Thomas, 1913)	Sub-Saharan Africa	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and rocky areas [51]	LC  Unknown [51]
Black and red free-tailed bat	M. jobimena Goodman & Cardiff, 2004	Western Madagascar	Size: 7–8 cm (3 in), plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Caves and forest [52]	LC  Unknown [52]
Chapin's free-tailed bat	M. chapini Allen, 1917	Central and western Africa	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Savanna [53]	LC  Unknown [53]
Duke of Abruzzi's free-tailed bat	M. aloysiisabaudiae (Festa, 1907)	Central and western Africa	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Savanna and forest [54]	LC  Unknown [54]
Dwarf free-tailed bat	M. nanulus Allen, 1917	Central and western Africa	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 1–3 cm (0–1 in) tail 2–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [55]	LC  Unknown [55]
Fijian mastiff bat	M. bregullae (Felten, 1964)	Fiji and Vanuatu	Size: 6–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail 5–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest and caves [56]	EN  5,000–7,000 [56]
Gallagher's free-tailed bat	M. gallagheri (Harrison, 1975)	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Size: About 5 cm (2 in), plus about 3 cm (1 in) tail About 4 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [57]	DD  Unknown [57]
Gland-tailed free-tailed bat	M. bemmeleni (Jentink, 1879) Two subspecies M. b. bemmeleni M. b. cistura	Central and western Africa	Size: 6–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and savanna [58]	LC  Unknown [58]
Grandidier's free-tailed bat	M. leucogaster (Grandidier, 1869)	Madagascar	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest and savanna [59]	LC  Unknown [59]
Lappet-eared free-tailed bat	M. major (Trouessart, 1897)	Eastern and western Africa	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Savanna and rocky areas [60]	LC  Unknown [60]
Little free-tailed bat	M. pumilus (Cretzschmar, 1826)	Sub-Saharan Africa	Size: 4–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and shrubland [61]	LC  Unknown [61]
Madagascar free-tailed bat	M. atsinanana Goodman, Buccas, Naidoo, Ratrimomanarivo, Taylor, & Lamb, 2010	Eastern Madagascar	Size: 6–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [62]	LC  Unknown [62]
Malagasy white-bellied free-tailed bat	M. leucostigma Allen, 1918	Madagascar	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and caves [63]	LC  Unknown [63]
Malayan free-tailed bat	M. mops (Blainville, 1840)	Indonesia and Malaysia	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest [64]	NT  Unknown [64]
Medje free-tailed bat	M. congicus Allen, 1917	Central Africa	Size: 9–10 cm (4 in), plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail 5–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [65]	LC  Unknown [65]
Midas free-tailed bat	M. midas (Sundevall, 1843)	Scattered Africa	Size: 8–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and desert [66]	LC  Unknown [66]
Mongalla free-tailed bat	M. demonstrator Thomas, 1903	Western and central Africa	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Savanna [67]	LC  Unknown [67]
Niangara free-tailed bat	M. niangarae Allen, 1917	Central Africa	Size: About 9 cm (4 in), plus about 3 cm (1 in) tail About 5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Unknown [68]	DD  Unknown [68]
Nigerian free-tailed bat	M. nigeriae Thomas, 1913 Two subspecies M. n. nigeriae M. n. spillmani	Sub-Saharan Africa	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Savanna and forest [69]	LC  Unknown [69]
Northern freetail bat	M. jobensis (Miller, 1902) Two subspecies M. j. colonicus M. j. jobensis	Northern Australia and southeastern Asia	Size: 5–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and caves [70]	LC  Unknown [70]
Northern free-tailed bat	M. johorensis (Dobson, 1873)	Indonesia and Malaysia	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [71]	VU  Unknown [71]
Peterson's free-tailed bat	M. petersoni El-Rayah, 1981	Western Africa	Size: About 7 cm (3 in), plus about 3 cm (1 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [72]	NT  Unknown [72]
Railer bat	M. thersites (Thomas, 1903)	Western and central Africa	Size: 6–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest [73]	LC  Unknown [73]
Russet free-tailed bat	M. russatus Allen, 1917	Western and central Africa	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest and savanna [74]	DD  Unknown [74]
São Tomé free-tailed bat	M. tomensis (Juste & Ibáñez, 1993)	São Tomé and Príncipe	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest and savanna [75]	EN  Unknown [75]
Seychelles free-tailed bat	M. pusillus Miller, 1902	Comoro Islands and Seychelles	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [76]	VU  Unknown [76]
Shortridge's free-tailed bat	M. shortridgei Thomas, 1926	South-central Africa	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Savanna	NE  Unknown
Sierra Leone free-tailed bat	M. brachypterus (Peters, 1852) Two subspecies M. b. brachypterus M. b. leonis	Western, central, and eastern Africa	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest [77]	LC  Unknown [77]
Solomons mastiff bat	M. solomonis Troughton, 1931	Solomon Islands	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest, caves, and coastal marine [78]	EN  Unknown [78]
Spotted free-tailed bat	M. bivittatus (Heuglin, 1861)	Eastern Africa	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Savanna, rocky areas, and caves [79]	LC  Unknown [79]
Spurrell's free-tailed bat	M. spurrelli Dollman, 1911	Western and central Africa	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–3 cm (1 in) tail 2–3 cm (1 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest [80]	LC  Unknown [80]
Sulawesi free-tailed bat	M. sarasinorum (von Meyer, 1899) Two subspecies M. s. lanei M. s. sarasinorum	Indonesia and the Philippines	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest [81]	DD  Unknown [81]
Trevor's free-tailed bat	M. trevori Allen, 1917	Western and central Africa	Size: 8–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 5–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and savanna [82]	DD  Unknown [82]
White-bellied free-tailed bat	M. niveiventer Cabrera & Ruxton, 1926	Central Africa	Size: 7–8 cm (3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest and savanna [83]	LC  Unknown [83]
Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat	M. plicatus Buchanan, 1880	Eastern and southeastern Asia	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [49] Habitat: Forest and caves [84]	LC  Unknown [84]

Genus Mormopterus – Peters, 1865 – seven species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Incan little mastiff bat	M. phrudus Handley, 1956	Peru	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest and caves [85]	VU  Unknown [85]
Kalinowski's mastiff bat	M. kalinowskii (Thomas, 1893)	Peru and northern Chile	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Shrubland and caves [86]	LC  Unknown [86]
Little goblin bat	M. minutus (Miller, 1899)	Cuba	Size: 4–5 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 2–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest [87]	VU  Unknown [87]
Natal free-tailed bat	M. acetabulosus Hermann, 1804	Island of Mauritius	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and caves [88]	EN  Unknown [88]
Peters's wrinkle-lipped bat	M. jugularis Peters, 1865	Madagascar	Size: 6–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Forest, rocky areas, and caves [89]	LC  Unknown [89]
Reunion little mastiff bat	M. francoismoutoui Goodman, Vuuren, Ratrimomanarivo, Probst, & Bowie, 2008	Island of Réunion	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Rocky areas [90]	LC  Unknown [90]
Sumatran mastiff bat	M. doriae K. Andersen, 1907	Island of Sumatra in Indonesia	Size: Unknown length, plus about 3 cm (1 in) tail About 4 cm (2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Unknown [91]	DD  Unknown [91]

Genus Myopterus – Geoffroy, 1818 – two species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Bini free-tailed bat	M. whitleyi (Scharff, 1900)	Central Africa	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest [92]	LC  Unknown [92]
Daubenton's free-tailed bat	M. daubentonii Desmarest, 1820 Two subspecies M. d. albatus M. d. daubentonii	Western and central Africa	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and savanna [93]	DD  Unknown [93]

Genus Nyctinomops – Miller, 1865 – four species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Big free-tailed bat	N. macrotis (Gray, 1839)	North and South America	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [94]	LC  Unknown [94]
Broad-eared bat	N. laticaudatus Geoffroy, 1805 Five subspecies N. l. espiritosantensis N. l. europs N. l. gracilis N. l. laticaudatus N. l. yucatanicus	Mexico, Central America, and South America	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [95]	LC  Unknown [95]
Peale's free-tailed bat	N. aurispinosus Peale, 1848	Mexico and South America	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest and caves [96]	LC  Unknown [96]
Pocketed free-tailed bat	N. femorosaccus (Merriam, 1889)	Mexico and southern United States	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–5 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Rocky areas and caves [97]	LC  Unknown [97]

Genus Otomops – Thomas, 1913 – eight species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Big-eared mastiff bat	O. papuensis Lawrence, 1948	Papua New Guinea	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [98]	DD  Unknown [98]
Harrison's large-eared giant mastiff bat	O. harrisoni Ralph, Richards, Taylor, Napier, & Lamb, 2015	Eastern Africa and southern Arabian Peninsula	Size: 9–11 cm (4 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 6–8 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and savanna [99]	VU  Unknown [99]
Javan mastiff bat	O. formosus Chasen, 1939	Indonesia	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 5–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Unknown [100]	DD  Unknown [100]
Johnstone's mastiff bat	O. johnstonei Kitchener, How, & Maryanto, 1992	Indonesia	Size: About 8 cm (3 in), plus about 4 cm (2 in) tail About 6 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [101]	DD  Unknown [101]
Large-eared free-tailed bat	O. martiensseni Matschie, 1897	Scattered Sub-Saharan Africa	Size: 8–11 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail 6–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and savanna [102]	NT  Unknown [102]
Madagascar free-tailed bat	O. madagascariensis Dorst, 1953	Madagascar	Size: 8–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and caves [103]	LC  Unknown [103]
Mantled mastiff bat	O. secundus Hayman, 1952	Papua New Guinea	Size: 7–8 cm (3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail about 6 cm (2 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest [104]	DD  Unknown [104]
Wroughton's free-tailed bat	O. wroughtoni (Thomas, 1913)	Scattered southern Asia	Size: 8–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail 6–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [19] Habitat: Forest and caves [105]	DD  Unknown [105]

Genus Ozimops – Reardon, McKenzie, & Adams, 2014 – nine species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Beccari's free-tailed bat	O. beccarii Peters, 1881 Two subspecies O. b. astrolabiensis O. b. beccarii	Indonesia and Papua New Guinea	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and caves [106]	LC  Unknown [106]
Cape York free-tailed bat	O. halli (Reardon, McKenzie, & Adams, 2014)	Northern Australia	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest [107]	DD  Unknown [107]
Inland free-tailed bat	O. petersi (Leche, 1884)	Australia	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Desert, inland wetlands, grassland, and shrubland [108]	LC  Unknown [108]
Loria's free-tailed bat	O. loriae Thomas, 1897	Papua New Guinea	Size: 4–5 cm (2 in), plus about 3 cm (1 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest [109]	DD  Unknown [109]
Lumsden's free-tailed bat	O. lumsdenae (Reardon, McKenzie, & Adams, 2014)	Northern Australia	Size: 5–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest, shrubland, grassland, and inland wetlands [110]	LC  Unknown [110]
Northern coastal free-tailed bat	O. cobourgianus (Johnson, 1959)	Northern Australia	Size: 4–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and other [111]	LC  Unknown [111]
Ride's free-tailed bat	O. ridei Felten, 1964	Eastern Australia	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and inland wetlands [112]	LC  Unknown [112]
South-western free-tailed bat	O. kitcheneri (Reardon, McKenzie, & Adams, 2014)	Southwestern Australia	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and shrubland [113]	LC  Unknown [113]
Southern free-tailed bat	O. planiceps Peters, 1866	Australia	Size: 5–6 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest and shrubland [114]	LC  Unknown [114]

Genus Platymops – Thomas, 1906 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Peters's flat-headed bat	P. setiger (Peters, 1878)	Eastern Africa	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 2–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Savanna and rocky areas [115]	LC  Unknown [115]

Genus Promops – Gervais, 1856 – three species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Big crested mastiff bat	P. centralis Thomas, 1915	Southern Mexico, Central America, and South America	Size: 5–10 cm (2–4 in), plus 4–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest and unknown [116]	LC  Unknown [116]
Brown mastiff bat	P. nasutus Spix, 1823	South America	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Unknown [117]	LC  Unknown [117]
Davison's mastiff bat	P. davisoni Thomas, 1921	Peru and Ecuador	Size: 5–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [12] Habitat: Forest [118]	DD  Unknown [118]

Genus Sauromys – Peterson, 1965 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Roberts's flat-headed bat	S. petrophilus (Roberts, 1917) Five subspecies S. p. erongensis S. p. fitzsimonsi S. p. haagneri S. p. petrophilus S. p. umbratus	Southern Africa	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, and rocky areas [119]	LC  Unknown [119]

Genus Setirostris – Reardon, McKenzie, Cooper, Appleton, Carthew, & Adams, 2014 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Hairy-nosed free-tailed bat	S. eleryi Reardon & McKenzie, 2008	Australia	Size: 4–5 cm (2 in), plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, and rocky areas [120]	NT  10,000 [120]

Genus Tadarida – Rafinesque, 1814 – eight species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
African giant free-tailed bat	T. ventralis (Heuglin, 1861)	Eastern Africa	Size: 9–11 cm (4 in), plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 6–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Savanna and rocky areas [121]	DD  Unknown [121]
East Asian free-tailed bat	T. insignis (Blyth, 1862)	Eastern Asia	Size: 8–11 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Coastal marine, caves, grassland, and forest [122]	DD  Unknown [122]
Egyptian free-tailed bat	T. aegyptiaca (Geoffroy, 1818)	Scattered Africa, Arabian Peninsula, and southern Asia	Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in), plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 4–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Savanna and shrubland [123]	LC  Unknown [123]
European free-tailed bat	T. teniotis (Rafinesque, 1814)	Southern Europe, northern Africa, western Asia, and scattered central Asia	Size: 8–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 3–6 cm (1–2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Shrubland, grassland, rocky areas, caves, and desert [124]	LC  Unknown [124]
Kenyan big-eared free-tailed bat	T. lobata Thomas, 1891	Eastern and southern Africa	Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in), plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Savanna and rocky areas [125]	LC  Unknown [125]
La Touche's free-tailed bat	T. latouchei Thomas, 1920	Eastern and southeastern Asia	Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in), plus 4–5 cm (2 in) tail 5–6 cm (2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Caves and forest [126]	EN  200 [126]
Madagascan large free-tailed bat	T. fulminans Thomas, 1903	Eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar	Size: 7–10 cm (3–4 in), plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail 5–7 cm (2–3 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest, savanna, and rocky areas [127]	LC  Unknown [127]
Mexican free-tailed bat	T. brasiliensis (Geoffroy, 1824)	North America and South America	Size: 4–7 cm (2–3 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–5 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [6] Habitat: Forest, rocky areas, caves, and desert [128]	LC  10–100 million [2] [128]

Subfamily Tomopeatinae

Main article: Tomopeatinae

Genus Tomopeas – Miller, 1900 – one species

Common name	Scientific name and subspecies	Range	Size and ecology	IUCN status and estimated population
Blunt-eared bat	T. ravus Miller, 1900	Peru	Size: 3–5 cm (1–2 in), plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail 3–4 cm (1–2 in) forearm length [9] Habitat: Caves [129]	EN  Unknown [129]

Sources

• Chernasky, Amy; Motis, Anna; Burgin, Connor, eds. (2023). All the Mammals of the World . Lynx Nature Books. ISBN   978-84-16728-66-4.
• Simmons, Nancy B. (2005). Wilson, Don E.; Reeder, DeeAnn M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World . Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0.
• Nowak, Ronald M. (1994). Walker's Bats of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-0-8018-4986-2.