Mops mops (de Blainville, 1840)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 598-672 : 657

92.

Malayan Free-tailed Bat

Mops mops

French: Tadaride de Malaisie / German: Malaya-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Mops de Malasia

Taxonomy. Dysopes mops de Blainville, 1840 ,

Sumatra, Indonesia.

Mops mops was previously placed in the genus Tadarida . The materials from Java named Dysopes labiatus by C. J. Temminck in 1827, if they prove to be conspecific, will antedate the name mops . Monotypic.

Distribution. Extreme S peninsular Thailand (Hala Bala Forest), Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and W Borneo ( Sarawak); itis suspected to occur also in Java, but the specimen requires taxonomic validation as to whether or not it is the same species.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 65-72 mm, tail 35-39 mm, ear 18-22 mm, forearm 40-46 mm; weight 17-24 g. Fur on dorsal side is dark brown to chestnut-brown or orange; itis paler on ventral side. Upperlip is wrinkled. Ears are moderate in size andjoin each other by flap of skin on top of head. Uropatagium is very short and therefore, as in other molossids,tail is exposed. Skull is heavily built.

Habitat. Malayan Free-tailed Bats caught in mist nets are usually c. 2—4 m above streams in forest habitats.

Food and Feeding. Malayan Free-tailed Bats feed over forest canopy or open space (e.g. large clearings). Details of their diet are not known.

Breeding. A female Malayan Free-tailed Bat was found pregnant in January.

Activity patterns. Malayan Free-tailed Bats are known to roost in caves or hollow trees. They use narrowband FM calls for navigation. Echolocation calls are relatively low in frequency, and peak frequency can be variable. In high-frequency calls, start frequency is ¢.37 kHz and end frequency is 17 kHz, with peak frequency of 23 kHz and duration of 15-5 milliseconds. Low-frequency calls start at 26 kHz and end at 16 kHz, with peak frequency of 18-5 kHz and duration 16-7 milliseconds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Malayan Free-tailed Bat is often found sharing the same roost as the Greater Naked Bat ( Cheiromeles torquatus ).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Populations have been declining due to deforestation throughoutits range.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Francis (2008a, 2014), Kingston et al. (2006), Lekagul & McNeely (1988), Phillipps & Phillipps (2016), Temminck (1827).

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. Extreme S peninsular Thailand (Hala Bala Forest), Peninsular Malaysia , Sumatra, and W Borneo ( Sarawak ); itis suspected to occur also in Java, but the specimen requires taxonomic validation as to whether or not it is the same species.