Chaerephon major (Trouessart, 1897)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 598-672 : 647

65.

Lappet-eared Free-tailed Bat

Chaerephon major

French: Tadaride a oreillettes / German: Ohrlappen-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Caerepon de orejas lobuladas

Other common names: Giant Gland-tailed Bat, Lappet-eared Wrinkle-lipped Bat, Large Wrinkle-lipped Bat

Taxonomy. Nyctinomus (Nyctinomus) pumilus var. major Trouessart, 1897 ,

5th Cataract of the Nile, northern Sudan.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Five disjunct regions: Guinean and Sahelian savannas in W Africa ( Guinea and Liberia E to Niger and Nigeria); White Nile valley ( Sudan, South Sudan, and NE DR Congo); around Lake Victoria ( Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania); a narrow strip along the E African coast between Mombasa and Dar es Salaam; and SW shore of Lake Tanganyika in NE Zambia, based on a reidentification in 2010 of two specimens in the London Natural History Museum collected in 1920.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.58-71 mm,tail 27-42 mm, ear 12-21 mm, hindfoot 7-11 mm, forearm 39-46 mm; weight 10-28 g. Pelage of the Lappet-eared Free-tailed Bat is short; head, back, flanks, and chest are dark sepia-brown, yellowish brown, grayish brown or dull rusty brown, sometimes slightly grizzled, with white or cream midventral belly-stripe and white or whitish ventral flank-stripe. Wings are semi-translucent, dark brown to black but apparently white in holotype. Interfemoral membrane is dark brown. Upperlip has 6-7 well-defined wrinkles on each side and many spoonhairs. Ears are dark brown or blackish, just reaching snout when laid forward, and joined by distinctively flat and lappet-shaped (semicircular or subtriangular) band of skin that covers interaural pocket which contains erectile hairs giving rise to a crest (7 mm long) in males. Tragus is small, squarish, and concealed by antitragus. Antitragus is large, tall, almost rectangular, but with top corners rounded. There are no gular or tail glands. Anterior palatal emargination is just open (in young adults) or closed, with paired incisive foramina, and basisphenoid pits are shallow to moderate. M? has third ridge about one-half as long as second ridge.

Habitat. Associated with lowland savanna woodlands, including Guinean and Sahelian savannas and miombo woodlands, as well as riparian habitats along the Nile and its tributaries.

Food and Feeding. The long narrow wings of Lappet-eared Free-tailed Bats indicate that they are aerial foragers.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Lappet-eared Free-tailed Bats are nocturnal, with emergence from their roosts occurring well before dark. They roost in trees, as well as rock crevices and buildings. Roosts are usually very close to the ground. In Cameroon, based on 16 calls (measured using a zero-crossing bat detector), they have narrowband FM echolocation calls with a “characteristic frequency” (approximating peak frequency) of ¢.33 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Lappet-cared Free-tailed Bats roost communally in groups of four up to more than 100, and they have a high roost fidelity, returning to roosts even when disturbed.

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

Bibliography. ACR (2017), Happold, M. (2013ak), Manga Mongombe (2012) , Monadjem, Cotterill, Hutson et al. (2017d), Monadjem, Taylor et al. (2010), Rosevear (1965).

Figures

On following pages: 61. Spotted Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon bivittatus); 62. Long-crested Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon chapini); 63. Gallagher's Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon gallagheri); 64. Grandidier's Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon leucogasten); 65. Lappet-eared Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon majon; 66. Nigerian Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon nigeriae); 67. Sao Tome Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon tomensis); 68. Little Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon pumilus);, 69. Russet Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon russatus); 70. Seychelles Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon pusillus); 71. Madagascar Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon atsinanana); 72. Black-and-red Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon jobimena); 73. Lesser Northern Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon johorensis); 74. Wrinkle-lipped Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon plicatus); 75. Fijian Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon bregullae); 76. Solomons Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon solomonis); 77. Greater Northern Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon jobensis).

Distribution. Five disjunct regions: Guinean and Sahelian savannas in W Africa ( Guinea and Liberia E to Niger and Nigeria ); White Nile valley ( Sudan , South Sudan , and NE DR Congo ); around Lake Victoria ( Uganda , Kenya , and Tanzania ); a narrow strip along the E African coast between Mombasa and Dar es Salaam; and SW shore of Lake Tanganyika in NE Zambia , based on a reidentification in 2010 of two specimens in the London Natural History Museum collected in 1920.