Mops thersites, Thomas, 1903

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

89.

Railer Free-tailed Bat

Mops thersites

French: Tadaride railleuse / German: Thersites-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Mops de Thersites

Other common names: Railer Bat, Railer Mops Bat

Taxonomy. Nyctinomus thersites Thomas, 1903 ,

“Efulen, Cameroons [= Camer oon].”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Sierra Leone and Guinea E to Cameroon (and Bioko I) and across Congo Basin to Uganda, Rwanda, and W Kenya; there are no records over much of interior of Congo Basin, which may be undersampled.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 66-77 mm, tail 25-36 mm, ear 13-22 mm, hindfoot 8-10 mm, forearm 35-42 mm; weight 10-34 g. Fur is short and sleek, blackish brown to dark reddish brown above, and medium brown below, with black ventral-stripe; flanks and rump are naked, with two tufts of long hairs on rump. Upper lip has 5-6 well-defined wrinkles on each side and many spoon-hairs. Wings and uropatagium are blackish or dark brown. Ears are blackish and relatively short (extending halfway along muzzle when laid flat), inner margins connected by interaural band of skin having forward-facing fold, bearing fringe of darker hair on its posterior edge but no interaural crest. Tragus is minute, and concealed by antitragus, which is large and trapezoid, with rounded corners and broad base. Anterior palate is narrowly emarginated, and basisphenoid pits are moderately developed. As is typical for Mops , cusps on M’ have third ridge much reduced. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FNa = 62.

Habitat. Tropical moist forest and cocoa plantations.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Based on observations of pregnant females in Uganda, the Railer Free-tailed Bat is thought to be seasonally polyestrous with births in March and September, gestation period of ¢.2-5 months, and a lactation period of ¢.3-5 months.

Activity patterns. The Railer Free-tailed Bat is nocturnal, and roosts in hollow trees, under roofs, or in road culverts and drains.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Railer Free-tailed Bats roostsingly or communally in small colonies. They sometimes share roosts with Short-winged Freetailed Bats ( M. brachypterus ) and Congo Free-tailed Bats ( M. congicus ).

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

Bibliography. ACR (2017), Happold, D.C.D. (1987), Happold, M. (2013ar), Kingdon (1974), Lang & Chapin (1917b), Monadjem, Fahr, Bergmans, Mickleburgh, Hutson & Juste (2017b), Rosevear (1965).

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. Sierra Leone and Guinea E to Cameroon (and Bioko I) and across Congo Basin to Uganda , Rwanda , and W Kenya ; there are no records over much of interior of Congo Basin, which may be undersampled.