Large free-tailed bat
| Large free-tailed bat | ||||||||||||
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Great free- tailed bat ( Nyctinomops macrotis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nyctinomops macrotis | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1839) |
The great free- tailed bat ( Nyctinomops macrotis , syn .: Tadarida molossa ) is a bat species from the family of bulldog bats , which is native to North and South America. The name is made up of the Greek Nyctinomops (means something like "animal that eats at night") and macros (= "large") and otos (= "ear").
description
The greater cantilever bat is the largest representative of the genus Nyctinomops . The coat is shiny and reddish-brown to black in color. The hair is two-tone with a light, almost white base and a dark tip. The ears are large and, when placed forward, reach almost to the muzzle. As with other representatives of this genus, they are connected upside down. The upper lip is crinkled. The nostrils point to the side, are wide apart and are separated from each other by a furrow. The wings are long and narrow, which makes this species a fast (> 40 km / h) but less agile flier.
Males are taller with a total length of 14.5 to 16 cm than females, which reach a total length of 12 to 13.9 cm. In both sexes, the wingspan is 42 to 44 cm. In the large free-tailed bat, the forearms are 58 to 63 mm long, the tail 40 to 57 mm long, the hind feet 7 to 11 mm long and the ears 25 to 32 mm long. About 25 mm of the tail lies outside the tail membrane .
Way of life
Nyctinomops macrotis , like most bats, is nocturnal and feeds on insects. Preferred prey animals include butterflies , crickets , grasshoppers , flying ants , stink bugs and dwarf cicadas .
The great free-tailed bat uses various types of echolocation calls for orientation and to find prey. In open areas they produce short calls with a low bandwidth and a constant frequency. When they approach a prey, the frequency of the call drops, with a second frequency-modulated and broadband component being added. In complex environments such as B. in forests, the type uses calls with different, overlapping overtones . The echolocation calls are generally below 20 kHz and are therefore audible as loud clicks to the human ear.
The species is mainly found in rough, rocky areas. During the day, the animals mostly hide in crevices in the rock, but also in buildings, caves and hollow trees, where they form groups of up to 150 individuals.
Each female gives birth to a single young in late spring or early summer. After birth, the females form so-called mother colonies in which they raise their young separately from the males. The boys become self-employed between August and September.
distribution and habitat
The greater cantilever bat is common in the southern United States , Mexico , Cuba , Haiti, and Jamaica , and from Colombia to Argentina . In Central America ( Honduras , Nicaragua , Costa Rica and Panama ) the species has not been proven. It is classified by the IUCN as safe thanks to its widespread use.
literature
- J. Milner, C. Jones, J. Knox Jones Jr. (1990): Nyctinomops macrotis . In: Mammalian Species , No. 351, pp. 1-4
swell
- ↑ Naughton, Donna (Ed.): The Natural History of Canadian Mammals . University of Toronto Press, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4426-4483-0 , pp. 311-312 (English, Nyctinomops macrotis ).
- ↑ Nyctinomops macrotis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
