Molossus alvarezi explained

Molossus alvarezi, or Alvarez's mastiff bat, is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, native to the Yucatán Peninsula. It lives within a relative homogenous environment within perennial forests, low forests, and a band of xeric vegetation.[1]

Taxonomy

Molossus alvarezi was described as a new species in 2011. The authors examined specimens of the Sinaloan mastiff bat (M. sinaloae) and found that individuals in the Yucatán Peninsula were morphologically distinct from other regions.[1] The genus name Molossus refers to the ancient Molossus breed of shepherd dog,[2] while the specific name alvarezi honors the late José Ticul Álvarez Solórzano for his significant contributions to the development of Mexican mammalogy.

In a 2019 study that examined the genetics of some Molossus species, the authors found that M. alvarezi was the sister taxon of Molossus fentoni.

Description

Molossus alvarezi is physically similar to Molossus sinaloae, though smaller in most dimensions. It is considered medium-sized for a bat of its genus, with a forearm length of . The fur of its back is dark brown, while its underside is paler and grayish brown.[1]

Range and habitat

Molossus alvarezi is found in Mexico in the states of Quintana Roo and Yucatán. Its range also includes Honduras and French Guiana.[3]

Notes and References

  1. González-Ruiz. Noé. Ramírez-Pulido. José. Arroyo-Cabrales. Joaquín. July 2011. A new species of mastiff bat (Chiroptera: Molossidae: Molossus) from Mexico. Mammalian Biology. en. 76. 4. 461–469. 10.1016/j.mambio.2010.06.004.
  2. The Mammals of the Southern African Sub-region by J. D. Skinner,, 2006, p. 277, "The name of the [free-tailed bats] family is derived from the Greek molossus, a kind of dog used by Greek shepherds in ancient times."
  3. Loureiro . Livia O. . Engstrom . Mark . Lim . Burton . González . Celia López . Juste . Javier . 2019-10-05 . Not All Molossus are Created Equal: Genetic Variation in the Mastiff Bat Reveals Diversity Masked by Conservative Morphology . Acta Chiropterologica . 21 . 1 . 51 . 10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21.1.004 . 1508-1109.