European free-tailed bat

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European free-tailed bat
Tadarida Teniotis263.JPG
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Tadarida
Species:
T. teniotis
Binomial name
Tadarida teniotis
(Rafinesque, 1814)
Tadarida teniotis distribution Map.png

The European free-tailed bat (Tadarida teniotis, sometimes given as Tadarida insignis) is a species of free-tailed bat found in the Old World. [2] 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. [1] 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. [3] 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 . [4]

Contents

Description

The European free-tailed bat has large, broad ears, each with a very small tragus, a backward-pointing projection which helps direct sound into the ear. Its muzzle has wrinkled lips, which gives its face a similarity to a dog's face and is the origin for its common names of bulldog or mastiff bat. Its tail is fleshy and robust, and the rear third is not connected to any membranes. Its fur is short and even, the dorsal (upper) surface is greyish-black, with a brownish shine, while the ventral (under) surface is paler. Its ears, wing and tail membranes are black and it has an unpleasant smell. This bat's head and body length is about 3.5 inches (89 mm), its tail about 2 inches (51 mm) and its weight from 1 to 2 ounces (28 to 57 g). [5]

Behaviour

The European free-tailed bat roosts by day in crevices in cliffs, in rocky gorges, under overhangs, in holes in tall buildings, under roof tiles or under stone bridges. It emerges at dusk and flies at a great height with a swift direct flight, not exhibiting the sudden twists and turns shown by many other bat species. It feeds on insects caught in flight and seldom needs to drink. When it does drink, it scoops up water from a pond or river while flying low over the surface. Before leaving the roost it makes a rattling sound and it often emits a characteristic "tsick-tsick" in flight, enabling it to be recognised by sound. [5]

European free-tailed bats generally live solitary lives but small groups of females come together to breed. The gestation period is about eighty days and a single youngster is born in some dark, concealed location. The juvenile opens its eyes when about a week old, can fly by four weeks and is independent by seven weeks. It matures at a year old and the lifespan is about ten years. [5]

Status

The European free-tailed bat is included by the IUCN in its Red List of Threatened Species as being of "Least Concern". The threats it faces include the use of pesticides, deforestation, the loss of roosts in some buildings and possible injury from wind turbines, however it is felt that none of these is a particularly serious threat. The population trend is not known but it is a common species in suitable habitats and bats in general receive protection in a number of European Union member states. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free-tailed bat</span> Family of bats

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.

<i>Tadarida</i> Genus of bats

The genus Tadarida has 9 or more species of free-tailed bats divided into two subgenera, with the first of these containing seven species spread across the Old World. Four species occur exclusively in Africa including Madagascar while two more species occur in central Papua New Guinea, and western and southern Australia, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican free-tailed bat</span> Species of mammal (Tadarida brasiliensis)

The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, regarded as one of the most abundant mammals in North America. Its proclivity towards roosting in huge numbers at relatively few locations makes it vulnerable to habitat destruction in spite of its abundance. It has been claimed to have the fastest horizontal speed of any animal, reaching top ground speeds over 101 mph (162 km/h); its actual air speed has not been measured. The Texas Legislature designated the Mexican free-tailed bat the state mammal (flying) in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natterer's bat</span> Species of bat

Natterer's bat is a European vespertilionid bat with pale wings. It has brown fur tending to greyish-white on its underside. It is found across most of the continent of Europe, parts of the Near East and North Africa. It feeds on insects and other invertebrates which it catches on the wing or pursues on the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-winged bat</span> Species of bat

The yellow-winged bat is one of five species of false vampire bat from Africa.

<i>Ozimops planiceps</i> Species of bat

Ozimops planiceps is a small bat in the family Molossidae, native to Australia and Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natal free-tailed bat</span> Species of bat

The Natal free-tailed bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is endemic to the island of Mauritius. It is known from fewer than five locations in its range, but it is common at a few sites. It roosts in caves, and it is considered to be an endangered species due to disturbance of its cave habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little goblin bat</span> Species of bat

The little goblin bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is endemic to Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incan little mastiff bat</span> Species of bat

The Incan little mastiff bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It belongs to the subgenus Micronomus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hildegarde's tomb bat</span> Species of bat

Hildegarde's tomb bat is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae. It is found near the coast in Kenya and Tanzania where it feeds in tropical dry forests and roosts in caves. It is a diurnal species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being endangered. The specific name hildegardeae was given in honour of anthropologist Hildegarde Beatrice Hinde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ansorge's free-tailed bat</span> Species of bat

Ansorge's free-tailed bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for W.J. Ansorge, who collected the first formally described specimen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerian free-tailed bat</span> Species of bat

The Nigerian free-tailed bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is native to two widely separated parts of Africa, and is sometimes considered to represent two separate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocketed free-tailed bat</span> Species of bat

The pocketed free-tailed bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae found in Mexico and in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States. They resemble the Brazilian free-tailed bat but differ morphologically. They are recognized as "least concern" by the IUCN and as "apparently secure" by Natureserve.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian free-tailed bat</span> Species of bat

The Egyptian free-tailed bat, also known as Egyptian guano bat or Egyptian nyctinome, is a species of bat in the family Molossidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-striped free-tailed bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<i>Chaerephon</i> (bat) Genus of bats

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 East Asian free-tailed bat was formerly considered to belong to the same species as the European free-tailed bat. Its range includes China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula.

References

  1. 1 2 Benda, P.; Piraccini, R. (2016). "Tadarida teniotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T21311A22114995. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T21311A22114995.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Simmons, N.B. (2005). "Order Chiroptera". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 451. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. ↑ Tadarida teniotis – Science for Nature Foundation
  4. 1 2 Aulagnier, S.; Paunovic, M.; Karataş, A.; Palmeirim, J.; Hutson, A. M.; Spitzenberger, F.; Juste, J.; Benda, P. (2008). "Tadarida teniotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  5. 1 2 3 Konig, Claus (1973). Mammals. Collins & Co. pp. 74–75. ISBN   978-0-00-212080-7.
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