Miller's mastiff bat

Miller's mastiff bat (Molossus pretiosus) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.^[1]

Miller's mastiff bat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Molossidae
Genus:	Molossus
Species:	M. pretiosus
Binomial name
Molossus pretiosus Miller, 1902
Miller's mastiff bat range

Distribution

Miller’s mastiff bat has a limited distribution and tends to inhabit isolated regions. This particular species of mastiff bat is native to Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Its main habitat is lowlands.^[2]

Morphology

Miller’s mastiff bats have a powerfully built body, with a broad body frame and narrow wings. They have a thick mandible in comparison to other mastiff bats. They have a distinctive cusp shaped pattern on their molars and lack their third premolar.^[3] Males tend to be larger than females. Full grown, an adult mastiff bat ranges from about 20 to 28 grams.^[4] At birth, Miller’s mastiff bat is only about one-quarter its adult weight.^[5] Miller’s mastiff bat had a variable fur coat color; ranging from black to a reddish color. The mastiff bat’s chest is speckled with white fur, and has black ears.^[6][7]

Behavior

Miller’s mastiff bat lives in open areas, mainly in grassland habitats. They have also been observed to build their roosts in caves, dry woodlands, roof dwellings, and thorn scrub.^[8] They tend to live in areas by a river, lake, or watering hole. Water is important for drinking and foraging behaviors.^[9] They are nocturnal, and start to become active at dusk, which coincides with the time when their food source becomes active. They tend to fly in a single file line to their destination. Their main food source are insects, such as beetles and moths.^[10]

Conservation

Miller's mastiff bat is listed as a Least Concern species with a low risk of becoming extinct. This is due to its ability to adapt to changing habitats and the distribution of habitats it occupies. It is also located in a number of protected areas. There are no known threats to Miller's mastiff bat.^[1]

References

1. Solari, S. (2019). "Molossus pretiosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T13649A22106312. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T13649A22106312.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
2. Simmons, N. B. (2005). "Order Chiroptera". In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 312–529. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.
3. Freeman, P. W. (1981). "A multivariate study of the family Molossidae (Mammalia, Chiroptera): morphology, ecology, evolution". Fieldiana Zoology. 7: 1–173. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.3128.
4. Jones, J. K. Jr.; Smith, J. D. & Turner, R. W. (1971). "Noteworthy records of bats from Nicaragua, with a checklist of the chiropteran fauna of the country". Occasional Papers, Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas. 2: 1–35.
5. Dolan, P. G. (1989). Systematics of Middle American mastiff bats of the genus Molossus. Special Publications, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 29:1–71 ISBN 0896722031.
6. Miller, G. S. Jr. (1902). "Twenty new American bats". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 54 (2): 389–412. JSTOR 4062747.
7. Jason B. Jennings; Troy L. Best; Jennifer C. Rainey & Stephanie. E. Burnett (2000). "Molossus pretiosus" (PDF). Mammalian Species. 635: 1–3. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2000)635<0001:MP>2.0.CO;2. S2CID 198968746. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
8. Nogueira, M.; Pol, A. & Peracchi, A. (2008). "First record of Miller's mastiff bat, Molossus pretiosus (Mammalia: Chiroptera), from the Brazilian Caatinga". Chiroptera Neotropical. 14 (1): 346–353. Archived from the original on 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
9. LaVal, R. K. (1977). "Notes on some Costa Rican bats". Brenesia. 10–11: 77–83. Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
10. Freeman, P. W. (1979). "Specialized insectivory: beetle-eating and moth-eating molossid bats". Journal of Mammalogy. 60 (3): 467–479. doi:10.2307/1380088. JSTOR 1380088.