Mops nanulus (J. A. Allen, 1917)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 598-672 : 655

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6418279

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6577265

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/194287C9-FF98-BA34-B490-FF28BA4BFDEF

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Mops nanulus
status

 

84. View Plate 46: Molossidae

Dwarf Free-tailed Bat

Mops nanulus View in CoL

French: Tadaride naine / German: Zwerg-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Mops nano

Other common names: Dwarf Mops Bat

Taxonomy. Mops (Allomops) nanulus J. A. Allen, 1917 View in CoL ,

“Niangara, Belgian Congo [= north-eastern DR Congo].”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. From Sierra Leone and Guinea patchily across the Congo Basin to South Sudan, WC Ethiopia, and W Kenya. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body c¢.56-59 mm, tail 19-29 mm, ear 11-18 mm, hindfoot 6-10 mm, forearm 27-31 mm; weight 6-11 g. Fur is short, extending dorsally over most of rump but not quite reaching uropatagium, leaving naked patch on rump and flanks; it varies from bright orange brown to blackish brown, with no grizzling or spots, and rump has two tufts of long hairs; underside with flanks brown, belly pale reddish brown, yellowish brown or brownish gray with mid-ventral markings white, pale yellowish brown or pale gray, flank-stripe slightly darker. Upper lip has 5-6 well-defined wrinkles on each side and many spoon-hairs. Wings are whitish or brownish and translucent, and uropatagium is brown. Ears are blackish and relatively short (extending halfway along muzzle when laid flat), inner margins of ears joined across forehead by V-shaped interaural band of skin without pouch or erectile crest. Tragusis very small, pointed, and concealed by antitragus, which is large and roughly trapezoid. Anterior palate has narrow emargination, and basisphenoid pits are shallow. As is typical for Mops , cusps on M? are V-shaped rather than N-shaped (i.e. with third ridge being much reduced). Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FNa = 54.

Habitat. Rainforest-savanna mosaic habitats in West Africa and the Congo Basin, and Afromontane or Afroalpine forest-grassland mosaic habitats in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. In Kenya, pregnant and lactating females were found in late August.

Activity patterns. Dwarf Free-tailed Bats are nocturnal, and roost in thatched huts and tree hollows.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Dwarf Free-tailed Bats roost communally in small colonies.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. ACR (2017), Grubb et al. (1998), Happold, D.C.D. (1987), Happold, M. (2013al), Monadjem, Bergmans, Mickleburgh & Hutson (2017b), Monadjem, Taylor et al. (2010).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Chiroptera

Family

Molossidae

Genus

Mops

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