The velvety free-tailed bat or Pallas's mastiff bat (''Molossus molossus''), is a

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 ...

species in the family Molossidae.

Description

''M. molossus'' is a medium-sized bat, with a length of and with a wingspan of . This species is brown in color; however, when seen flying around at dusk, it will appear to be black. The tail of ''M. molossus'' is long and extends beyond the tail membrane. Its ears are large and round.

Feeding

''M. molossus'' forages in open areas, above tree canopies, around forest edges, and around streams and ponds. Its diet includes moths, beetles, and flying ants. It is commonly seen at dusk, where it will fly solo, catching insects in the air.

Distribution and habitat

It occurs in the Americas from

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

north to

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and

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 also the Florida Keys 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 territori ...

. It is very common in the Caribbean. A ''M. molossus'' has been observed being killed by a giant centipede (''

Scolopendra viridicornis ''Scolopendra viridicornis'' is a species of centipede in the family Scolopendridae which can be found within the Amazon rainforest, the type locality being in Brazil. Due to the geographic distribution of this species it is known as the Amazonian ...

'') in the Amazon. The lone bat had been roosting inside a man-made wooden structure in

Cristalino State Park The Cristalino State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual do Cristalino) is a state park in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Location The Cristalino State Park is in the municipalities of Alta Floresta and Novo Mundo in the extreme north of Mato Grosso ...

before the centipede grabbed it with its legs and injected venom into its neck. This observation is notable due to the rarity of centipede predation on bats.

References

* ''Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats'' by Kim Williams, Rob Mies Donald and Lillian Stokes {{Taxonbar, from=Q1832759 Molossus (bat) Mammals of Colombia Bats of Central America Mammals of the Dominican Republic Mammals of Haiti Mammals of Puerto Rico