Ozimops lumsdenae, Reardon, McKenzie & Adams, 2014

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 598-672 : 671

124.

Lumsden’s Free-tailed Bat

Ozimops lumsdenae

French: Tadaride de Lumsden / German: Lumsden-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Murciélago rabudo de Lumsden

Other common names: Northern Free-tailed Bat, Northern Mastiff Bat

Taxonomy. Mormopterus (Ozimops) lumsdenae Reardon, McKenzie & Adams in Reardon et al., 2014,

“ Roadside dam , Peninsula Developmental Road , ~ 16 km north of Coen, Queensland [ Australia], 14.809°S, 143.146°E.”

Populations of Ozimops lumsdenae were initially attributed to O. beccarii by J. W. Winter and F. R. Allison in 1980, with Australian forms allocated to subspecies astrolabiensis. This nomenclature was in use until 2014 when described as full species by T. B. Reardon and colleagues and placed in the subgenus Ozimops . Ozimops was elevated to genus level by S.M. Jackson and C. P. Groves in 2015. Monotypic.

Distribution. Broad distribution across N Australia, following N coastline in a wide arc from Pilbara region in Western Australia E through Northern Territory and most of Queensland, and just reaching into NE New South Wales; its range extends inland no more than ¢. 600 km from the coast at any point.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 59-68 mm, tail 33-38 mm, ear 12-17 mm, forearm 35- 41 mm; weight 11-19 g. Lumsden’s Free-tailed Bat is a heavy, robust bat, much larger than any other Ozimops species in Australia, and thus easily distinguished. Fur is brown to grayish brown, with underside lighter than back. The species has triangular ears typical of all Ozimops , and these easily distinguish it from other large Australian freetailed bats, notably the White-striped Free-tailed Bat ( Austronomus australis ) and the Greater Northern Free-tailed Bat ( Chaerephon jobensis ), both of which have rounded ears. Females have a long clitoral projection, and penis in males is relatively small (c. 4 mm); glans is cylindrical along its entire length but with a large bulbous bacular mound. Skull is robust and larger in most measurements than any other Ozimops species. The species can be distinguished from other Ozimops by a unique combination of allozyme alleles with number of fixed differences ranging from three to nine.

Habitat. Associated with a diverse variety of tropical and subtropical habitats across a very broad swathe of rainfall gradients in the range 200-1500 mm per year. This includes rainforest, riverine floodplains, paperbark and pandanus wetlands, eucalypt woodlands and savanna, and watercourses lined with river red gum ( Eucalyptus camaldulensis , Myrtaceae ) in deserts and semiarid areas.

Food and Feeding. Lumsden’s Free-tailed Bats fly at high speed (32-35 km /h) but generally lack maneuverability and agility. They hunt above the canopy, presumably on flying insects. Beetles and moths have been found in stomach contents, and the species has sometimes been observed scurrying after insects on the ground.

Breeding. Females give birth to single young throughout the tropical “wet season” (Southern Hemisphere summer).

Activity patterns. Lumsden’s Free-tailed Bats are nocturnal, and they emerge from tree roosts after dark. Echolocation calls are relatively low (peak frequency c.24 kHz).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Lumsden’s Free-tailed Bats roost in small groups of up to 50 individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Mormopterus lumsdenae ), because the number of mature individuals is estimated to be high and the area of occupancy is vast, encompassing a broad range of habitats and including many protected areas. Throughout its range, Lumsden’s Free-tailed Bat is recorded regularly, and there is no information on population trends, but it may be declining, due to recent and continuing degradation and clearance of native vegetation in many parts of its distribution. Key threats are continuing loss of habitat through land clearing for agriculture, mining and urban expansion in Queensland, and through changes in fire regimes across its range.

Bibliography. Adams et al. (1988), Crome & Richards (1988), Jackson & Groves (2015), McKenzie et al. (2002), Milne et al. (2006), Reardon etal. (2014), Winter & Allison (1980).

Figures

On following pages: 105. Roberts's Flat-headed Bat (Sauromys petrophilus); 106. Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis); 107. European Free-tailed Bat (7adarida teniotis); 108. Egyptian Free-tailed Bat (7adarida aegyptiaca); 109. Kenyan Big-eared Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida lobata); 110. African Giant Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida ventralis); 111. Malagasy Free-tailed Bat (7adarida fulminans); 112. East Asian Free-tailed Bat (7adarida insignis); 113. La Touche's Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida latouchei); 114. New Guinea Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus kuboriensis); 115. White-striped Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus australis); 116. East Coast Free-tailed Bat (Micronomus norfolkensis); 117. Beccari's Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops beccaril); 118. Northern Coastal Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops cobourgianus); 119. Cape York Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops hall); 120. South-western Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops kitchener); 121. Loria’s Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops loriae); 122. Lumsden'’s Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops lumsdenae); 123. Inland Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops petersi); 124. Southern Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops planiceps); 125. Ride's Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops ride); 126. Hairy-nosed Free-tailed Bat (Setirostris eleryi).

Distribution. Broad distribution across N Australia , following N coastline in a wide arc from Pilbara region in Western Australia E through Northern Territory and most of Queensland, and just reaching into NE New South Wales; its range extends inland no more than ¢. 600 km from the coast at any point.