Mops demonstrator, 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 : 654

82.

Mongalla Free-tailed Bat

Mops demonstrator

French: Tadaride de Mongalla / German: Mongalla-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Mops de Mongalla

Other common names: Mongalla Mops Bat, Mongallan Mops Bat

Taxonomy. Nyctinomus demonstrator Thomas, 1903 ,

“ Mangala [= Mongalla], N. of Gondokoro [Island],” Bahr el Jebel (= White Nile river ), Equatoria Province, South Sudan.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Patchily in W & WC Africa ( Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Burkina Faso, and Cameroon) and NE Africa, mostly associated with the Blue Nile and White Nile valleys ( Sudan, South Sudan, NE DR Congo, and W Uganda); it has not yet been recorded in the Central African Republic, whereit is likely to occur.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.76-82 mm, tail 27-37 mm, ear 16-18 mm, hindfoot 8-11 mm, forearm 41-46 mm; weight 20-24 g. Fur is short and moderately sparse between shoulders, medium brown to slaty gray above, often suffused with pale gray or silvery white, giving frosted appearance; crown is darker than back, usually black; underside is pure or creamy white to very pale gray, darker toward flanks, with no contrasting mid-ventral markings or flank-stripe. Wings are medium to dark gray. Upper lip has 7-8 well-defined wrinkles on each side and many spoon-hairs. Ears are dark gray and relatively short, not reaching snout when laid forward. Inner margins of ears are joined across forehead by interaural band of skin with either V-shaped fold or forward-facing pocket, not containing erectile crest of hairs; posterior edge of interaural band bordered by longer black hairs. Tragus is minute, and concealed by antitragus, which is rounded above with broad base. Males have scent glands between penis and anus. Anterior palate is closed and basisphenoid pits are deep and well developed. 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. Open and dry savanna habitats such as Isoberlinia woodlands, wooded Acacia (both Fabaceae ) savannas, and seasonally flooded grasslands. In the north-east of their range, Mongalla Free-tailed Bats seem to be associated with larger rivers such as the White Nile and Blue Nile.

Food and Feeding. Mongalla Free-tailed Bats are high-flying aerial foragers. In aerial mist nets set to a maximum height of 25 m in a study in Comoé National Park, northeastern Ivory Coast, they were caught at heights of 8-20 m.

Breeding. At Garamba National Park, north-eastern DR Congo, full-term pregnant females were recorded in April and June, an early pregnancy in September,a lactating female in June, and juveniles in May, June, and September. Although sparse, the data suggest more than one birth per year (polyestry).

Activity patterns. Mongalla Free-tailed Bats are nocturnal, and roost in fissures in trunks and large branches oftrees (e.g. Vitex doniana , Lamiaceae ).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Mongalla Free-tailed Bats roost communally in tree hollows,in groups of 2-10 individuals. A study of eleven day roosts (42 individuals) in Garamba National Park by J. Verschuren in 1957 revealed both female-only groups and groups with a single male and two or more females (possibly harems). Overall sex ratio was one male to five females.

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

Bibliography. ACR (2017), Lang & Chapin (1917b), Monadjem, Cotterill, Bergmans et al. (2017), Verschuren (1957).

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. Patchily in W & WC Africa ( Ivory Coast , Ghana , and Burkina Faso , and Cameroon ) and NE Africa, mostly associated with the Blue Nile and White Nile valleys ( Sudan , South Sudan , NE DR Congo , and W Uganda ); it has not yet been recorded in the Central African Republic , whereit is likely to occur.