Molossidae

Molossidae [mə′läs·ə‚dē]

(vertebrate zoology)

The free-tailed bats, a family of tropical and subtropical insectivorous mammals in the order Chiroptera.

---

Molossidae 

(mastiff bats), a family of mammals of the suborder of insectivorous bats, close to the family of common or flat-nosed bats (Vespertilionidae). They are a highly specialized group of bats and have a very advanced flight apparatus. Their form is compact, and their wings are narrow and sharp. The long, muscular tail emerges from the interfemoral membrane. The conchae auriculae are usually enlarged.

There are about ten genera of mastiff bats, comprising 100 species. They live in the tropical and subtropical zones. One species (Tadarida teniotis) lives in the USSR. It is occasionally found in the Caucasus, southern Kazakhstan, and Middle Asia. Its body length is 81-92 mm, and its forearm length is 57-63 mm. The conchae auriculae are large, pointed forward, and joined by their internal edges. They function as a supplementary lifting surface and partly as “elevators.” The flight of these bats is very swift and direct, resembling the flight of martins.

REFERENCE

Mlekopitaiushchie fauny SSSR, part 1. Moscow-Leningrad, 1963.

V. G. GEPTNER