Mops niveiventer, Cabrera & Ruxton, 1926

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 598-672 : 655-656

86.

White-bellied Free-tailed Bat

Mops niveiventer

French: Tadaride a ventre blanc / German: \WeiRbauch-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Mops de vientre blanco

Other common names: \ White-bellied Mops Bat

Taxonomy. Mops angolensis nivewenter Cabrera & Ruxton, 1926 ,

Luluabourg (= Kananga), Kasai-Central Province, DR Congo.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Quite sparsely in SC Africa in E & S DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, SW Tanzania, C & E Angola, Zambia, and NW Mozambique; possibly in Malawi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body c¢.72-79 mm, tail 32-37 mm, ear 18-20 mm, hindfoot 9-11 mm, forearm 44-48 mm; weight 20-30 g. Fur is short, glossy, dark brown or paler chocolate-brown above, often frosted or flecked, with crown and neck black or very dark brown, darker than back; underside is usually cream to pure white, with no mid-ventral markings, but ventral flank-stripe cream or white. Upper lip has 5-6 well-defined wrinkles on each side and many spoon-hairs. Wings are semi-translucent, blackish brown to pale gray; uropatagium is dark brown above, and whitish below. Ears are brown and relatively short (extending halfway along muzzle when laid flat), inner margins connected by interaural band of skin having V-shaped fold and fringe of longer coarse hairs along posterior edge. Tragus is minute and hatchet-shaped, with bend in posterior margin and tip pointed; concealed by antitragus. Anterior palate is closed, and basisphenoid pits are moderately deep. As is typical for Mops , cusps on M? are V-shaped rather than N-shaped, i.e. with third ridge absent.

Habitat. Moist woodland savannas, particularly miombo woodland.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. In Zambia, pregnant females have been recorded between October and January, and lactating females and juveniles between January and March. Female White-bellied Free-tailed Bats give birth to pale-skinned neonates, compared to the darker-skinned neonates of Angolan Free-tailed Bats ( M. condylurus ). Litter Size is one.

Activity patterns. White-bellied Free-tailed Bats are nocturnal, and roost during the day in hollows in tall miombo trees, making such tall trees an important feature of their habitat; roosts have also been found in cracks in rocks and buildings. The species emits echolocation calls of low frequency (peak frequency ¢.20 kHz), long duration (c.8 milliseconds), and narrow bandwidth.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. White-bellied Free-tailed Bats roost communally during the day in small colonies.

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

Bibliography. ACR (2017), Ansell (1967), Cotterill (2000, 2002b, 2013n), Monadjem & Cotterill (2017b), Monadjem, Taylor et al. (2010), Schoeman & Jacobs (2008).

Figures

14. Bonda Mastiff Bat (Molossus currentium), 15. Fenton’s Masuft Bat (Molossus fentoni), 17. Pallas’s Mastiff Bat (Molossus molossus), 18. Miller’s Mastiff Bat (Molossus pretiosus), 19. Black Mastiff Bat (Molossus rufus)

Distribution. Quite sparsely in SC Africa in E & S DR Congo , Rwanda , Burundi , SW Tanzania , C & E Angola , Zambia , and NW Mozambique ; possibly in Malawi .