Spurrell's free-tailed bat

Spurrell's free-tailed bat
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Mops
Species:
M. spurrelli
Binomial name
Mops spurrelli
Dollman, 1911
Synonyms
  • Xiphonycteris spurrelli Dollman, 1911
  • Tadarida spurrelli Dollman, 1911

Spurrell's free-tailed bat (Mops spurrelli) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae named after Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell. It is found in Central and West Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1911 by British zoologist Guy Dollman. Dollman initially placed it in the now-defunct genus Xiphonycteris. The eponym for the species name "spurrelli" is Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell, who collected the holotype. The holotype, an adult male, was collected 60 mi (97 km) west of Kumasi, Ghana at an altitude of 700 ft (210 m).[2]

Description

Spurrell's free-tailed bat is a small species, with a forearm length of approximately 27 mm (1.1 in). Its fur is a rusty red color on its back, with its ventral surface a buffy white. Its dental formula is 1.1.2.31.1.2.3 for a total of 28 teeth. It has triangular ears, small feet, and hairy toes.[2]

Range and habitat

Its range includes several countries; it has been documented in Cameroon, Central African Republic, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo[1]

Conservation

As of 2017, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Monadjem, A.; Fahr, J.; Bergmans, W.; Mickleburgh, S.; Hutson, A.M.; Juste, J. (2017). "Mops spurrelli". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T13848A22078917. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T13848A22078917.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Dollman, G. (1911). "Description of a new genus of Molossine Bats from West Africa". The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology. 8. 7 (38): 210–212. doi:10.1080/00222931108692924.