Spurrell's free-tailed bat explained

Spurrell's free-tailed bat (Mops spurrelli) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae named after Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell. It is found in Central and West Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1911 by British zoologist Guy Dollman. Dollman initially placed it in the now-defunct genus Xiphonycteris. The eponym for the species name "spurrelli" is Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell, who collected the holotype. The holotype, an adult male, was collected west of Kumasi, Ghana at an altitude of .[1]

Description

Spurrell's free-tailed bat is a small species, with a forearm length of approximately . Its fur is a rusty red color on its back, with its ventral surface a buffy white. Its dental formula is for a total of 28 teeth. It has triangular ears, small feet, and hairy toes.[1]

Range and habitat

Its range includes several countries; it has been documented in Cameroon, Central African Republic, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo

Conservation

As of 2017, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Dollman. G.. 1911. Description of a new genus of Molossine Bats from West Africa. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology. 8. 7. 38. 210–212. 10.1080/00222931108692924.