The pocketed free-tailed bat (''Nyctinomops femorosaccus'') is a species of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

in the family Molossidae found in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. They resemble the

Brazilian free-tailed bat The Mexican free-tailed bat or Brazilian free-tailed bat (''Tadarida brasiliensis'') is a medium-sized bat native to the Americas, so named because its tail can be almost half its total length and is not attached to its uropatagium. It has been ...

(''Tadarida brasiliensis'') but differ morphologically. They are recognized as "least concern" by the IUCN and as "apparently secure" by Natureserve.

Characteristics

The pocketed free-tailed bat shares similar features with the

("Tadarida brasiliensis") but is larger in size. The name is derived from a skin fold stretching from the medial side of the femur to the middle of the tibia. This fold produces a shallow pocket on the underside of the interfemoral membrane in the vicinity of the knee. Some defining characteristics include: Ears joined at the midline; second phalanx of the 4th digit is less than 5mm; anterior part of hard palate narrowly excised; upper incisors placed close together with longitudinal axes nearly parallel.Pocketed Free-tailed Bat. Pocketed Free-tailed Bat. Texas Parks and Wildlife, 01 Jan. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2015. The pocketed free-tailed bat also has a large broad head with grooved lips. The face has many stiff hairs with spoonlike tips. The ears are thick and leathery with the presence of a dominant tragus. Body dimensions: body length~112mm; feet~10mm; tail~46mm; ears~23mm; forearms~46mm. Body mass range is .Lancaster, Eric. "Nyctinomops Femorosaccus Pocketed Free-tailed Bat." Nyctinomops Femorosaccus Pocketed Free-tailed Bat. University of Michigan, 17 Feb. 2000. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.

Habitat and ecology

Like many other bats, this species is insectivorous; they eat a variety of insects including

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

Homoptera Homoptera is a suborder of order Hemiptera that is considered by some taxonomists to be paraphyly, paraphyletic, and therefore Deprecation, deprecated (obsolete). It was therefore split into the suborders Sternorrhyncha, Auchenorrhyncha, and Cole ...

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

Orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grassho ...

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

, and

Neuroptera The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera can be grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in th ...

. One research article showed that because of the limited flight maneuverability of the pocketed free-tailed bat compared with the Brazilian free-tailed bat the latter is better able to prey upon beetles. It also showed that the insect species diet for the pocketed free-tailed bats varies with season. In June and July,

accounted for the greatest volume of prey while diets in September and March consisting mostly of

Table 1
In the dry season, they seek drinking water from various open access water sources. The roosts are located in caves, crevices, mines, tunnels, and man-made structures with colony sizes less than 100 individuals.

Reproduction

Like some other

bats Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

, pocketed free-tailed bats exhibit delayed fertilization. They mate just prior to ovulation in the spring. Their young are born in early July. The gestation period is about 70 to 90 days and when the young are finally born, they weigh 3-4 grams, or about 22% of the adult weight. This new generation is able to fly within 1-1.5 months

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1832705 Nyctinomops Bats of Mexico Bats of the United States Bat, Pocketed Free-tailed Bat, Pocketed Free-tailed Bat, Pocketed Free-tailed Bat, Pocketed Free-tailed Bat, Pocketed Free-tailed Natural history of the Mexican Plateau Taxonomy articles created by Polbot