Trevor's free-tailed bat explained

The Trevor's free-tailed bat (Mops trevori) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Central and West Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and moist savanna.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1917 by American zoologist Joel Asaph Allen. The holotype was collected by James Chapin in Faradje.[1] The eponym for the species name "trevori" was John Bond Trevor. Trevor was a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, which employed Allen, as well as Chairman of the Committee on African Exploration.[2]

Description

Its forearm length is . Its flight membranes are dark brown and its fur is sepia brown, yellowish-brown, or a pale, rusty brown.[3]

Range and habitat

Its range includes parts of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Uganda.

Conservation

As of 2019, it is evaluated as a data deficient species by the IUCN. Overall, little is known about its biology and ecology. Its population is believed to be decreasing.

Notes and References

  1. Allen. J.A. 1917. The American Museum Congo Expedition collection of bats. Bulletin of the AMNH. 37. 555.
  2. Book: Beolens. B.. Watkins. M.. Grayson. M.. 2009. The eponym dictionary of mammals. JHU Press. 417. 9780801895333.
  3. 10.5852/ejt.2017.382. The bats of the Congo and of Rwanda and Burundi revisited (Mammalia: Chiroptera). European Journal of Taxonomy. 382. 2017. Van Cakenberghe. Victor. Gembu Tungaluna. Guy-Crispin. Musaba Akawa. Prescott. Seamark. Ernest. Verheyen. Erik. free. 10067/1485270151162165141. free.