The bat family Noctilionidae, commonly known as bulldog bats or fishing bats, is represented by two extant species, the greater and the lesser bulldog bats, as well as at least one fossil species, Noctilio lacrimaelunaris, from the Miocene of Argentina. The naked bulldog bat does not belong to this family, but to the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. They are found near water in the Neotropics, from Mexico to Argentina and also in the Caribbean islands. In these areas they can be found roosting in groups within hollow trees, caves, man made homes, or other openings with enough space. While the two species exhibit different social and foraging behaviors both tend to return to a main roosting spot while also visiting other alternative roosting spots.
The lesser bulldog bat is an insectivorous and occasionally carnivorous bat of the (Neotropics), ranging through Central America and northern South America. Some unique characteristics of the bat include, large feet that are used to rake the surface of water to capture prey, and precise echolocation. Occasionally, the larger bats catch and consume small fish.
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 yellow-winged bat is one of five species of false vampire bat from Africa.
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.
Davy's (lesser) naked-backed bat is a small, insect-eating, cave-dwelling bat of the Order Chiroptera and Family Mormoopidae. It is found throughout South and Central America, including Trinidad, but not Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, or French Guiana. Specimens of this bat had been found infected with rabies in Trinidad during the height of that's island's vampire-bat transmitted rabies epidemic of the early half of the 20th century, but not in recent times.
The little goblin bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is endemic to Cuba.
The long-eared myotis is a species of vesper bat in the suborder Microchiroptera. It can be found in western Canada, the western United States, and Baja California in Mexico.
The little forest bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
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 lesser naked bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats. It is native to Indonesia and the Philippines.
The cyclops roundleaf bat or cyclops leaf-nosed bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae found in the forests of equatorial Africa.
The diadem leaf-nosed bat or diadem roundleaf bat is one of the most widespread species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is probably most closely related to Hipposideros demissus from Makira and to Hipposideros inornatus from the Northern Territory in Australia. Hipposideros diadema is found in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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.
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera. With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out digits covered with a thin membrane or patagium. The smallest bat, and arguably the smallest extant mammal, is Kitti's hog-nosed bat, which is 29–34 millimetres in length, 150 mm (6 in) across the wings and 2–2.6 g in mass. The largest bats are the flying foxes, with the giant golden-crowned flying fox, Acerodon jubatus, reaching a weight of 1.6 kg and having a wingspan of 1.7 m.
The Florida bonneted bat or Florida mastiff bat is a species of bat in the genus Eumops, the bonneted bats or mastiff bats. Until recently, it was classified as a subspecies of Wagner's bonneted bat. It is endemic to southern Florida in the United States. This species has one of the smallest geographical distributions of any New World bat. It has been called "one of the most critically endangered mammal species in North America". It is protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Setirostris eleryi is a species of small insectivorous bat found in inland eastern Australia. It is the sole species of the molossid genus Setirostris, a name that refers to the coarse bristles on their faces. Earlier common names have referred to this unique feature, and the 'free-tail' that is a common feature of its microchiropteran family, the Molossidae; no single common name emerged during the taxonomic revisions that identified what was referred to as the bristle-faced freetail.
Harrison's large-eared giant mastiff bat is a species of bat found in Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It was described as a new species in 2015. The IUCN evaluates it as a vulnerable species.
Eumops ferox, the fierce bonneted bat or the chestnut mastiff bat, is a species of free-tailed bat found in the Caribbean and Mexico. Until recently, it was synonymous with Wagner's bonneted bat.
