| Solomons mastiff bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Molossidae |
| Genus: | Chaerephon |
| Species: | C. solomonis |
| Binomial name | |
| Chaerephon solomonis Troughton, 1931 | |
The Solomons mastiff bat (Chaerephon solomonis) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is endemic to the Solomon Islands.
It was described as a new species by Australian mammalogist Ellis Le Geyt Troughton in 1931. [2] Troughton likely chose the species name "solomonis" because this species was first discovered on the Solomon Islands. It is sometimes classified as a subspecies of the northern freetail bat, Chaerephon jobensis. [3]
The genus Chaerephon was formerly considered a subgenus of or synonymous with the genus Tadarida , meaning that this species has been known as Tadarida jobensis solomonis or Tadarida solomonis. [4] [5]
Its forearm is 40.5–45 mm (1.59–1.77 in). In total, its head and body are 63–68 mm (2.5–2.7 in) long, while its tail is 35–36 mm (1.4–1.4 in) long. Its fur is a rich, auburn brown, with white hairs interspersed infrequently. Its tragus is lobed and broad at the tip. [2]
Its range is currently known to include Choiseul Island and Santa Isabel Island, both of which are part of the Solomon Islands. [5]
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 northern freetail bat is a species of bat found in Yapen, Seram Island, Western New Guinea and Northern Australia.
The European free-tailed bat 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 wrinkling on the snout. This bat is found in the Mediterranean region of Europe and in scattered locations across Asia at altitudes from sea level to 3100 m. The range of distribution is from the Canary Islands and Madeira through the whole Mediterranean area, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and the Middle East. In the north to southern France, southern Germany, Switzerland, Croatia and Bulgaria. It was reported from Korea in 1931, but has not been sighted on the Korean Peninsula since then. Populations in Japan, Taiwan and Korea are now considered to be a separate species Tadarida insignis.
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 referred to by variations on east-coast free-tailed bat.
Rüppell's or the greater broad-nosed bat is a species of vespertilionid microbat found in eastern Australia.
The northern broad-nosed bat is a species of the vespertilionid family of microbats. It can be found in northern Australia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea.
The eastern broad-nosed bat or Orion broad-nosed bat is a species of vespertilionid bat. It is found only in Australia, east of the Great Dividing Range, from about Rockhampton to Melbourne, with a small isolated population on the Atherton Tablelands.
The Florida naked-tailed rat is a poorly known and possible extinct species of rodent in the family Muridae. It was confined to the Nggela Islands in the Solomon Islands. The originally mentioned type locality Ugi Island is an erratum.
The Papuan sheath-tailed bat is a species of bat in the family Emballonuridae which occurs at the Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea. The poorly known species hunts in open forests for night flying insects.
The wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat 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 Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
The little free-tailed bat is a species of the genus Chaerephon in the family Molossidae. It is widely distributed across Africa and islands around the continent.
The São Tomé free-tailed bat 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. Only three individuals have ever been documented.
The Mongalla free-tailed bat 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 are dry savanna, moist savanna, and subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland.
Chaerephon is a genus of Old World free-tailed bats in the family Molossidae. Molecular sequence data indicates that Chaerephon, Mops and Tadarida are not monophyletic taxa. The closest relatives of Chaerephon jobimena of Madagascar are Tadarida aegyptiaca of Africa and southwest Asia, and Tadarida brasiliensis of the Americas, which form a clade believed to be about 9.8 million years old. However, the grouping of Chaerephon minus C. jobimena plus Mops was found to be monophyletic.
The Rennell flying fox is a species of flying fox found in the Solomon Islands. It is an endangered species risking extinction.
Chaerephon 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, C. jobimena is somewhat larger than other Malagasy bats assigned to Chaerephon, but similar in size to Tadarida aegyptiaca.
