Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Cladus: Cynodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohort: Theria
Cohort: Eutheria
Cohort: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Laurasiatheria
Ordo: Chiroptera
Subordo: Microchiroptera
Superfamilia: Molossoidea
Familia: Molossidae
Subfamilia: Molossinae
Genus: Chaerephon
Species: Chaerephon major
Name
Chaerephon major Trouessart, 1897
Type locality: North Sudan.
Synonyms
abae J. A. Allen, 1917
emini De Winton, 1901
References
Trouessart, 1897. Cat. Mamm. Viv. Foss., 1: 146.
Conservation status: IUCN: Chaerephon major (Least Concern)
Chaerephon major in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
Distribution
Senegal, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Niger, Sudan, North-East Congo, Uganda, Tanzania
Vernacular names
English: Lappet-eared Free-tailed Bat.
The lappet-eared free-tailed bat (Chaerephon major) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and moist savanna. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was species description described in 1897 by French zoologist Édouard Louis Trouessart. Trouessart named it a subspecies of the little free-tailed bat (Chaerephon pumilus), which at the time was Nyctinomus pumilus. Therefore, its initial trinomen was Nyctinomus pumilus major.[2] George Edward Dobson had previously written about the specimen used to describe the subspecies, at the time saying, "I hesitate to describe it as the type of a new species."[3] Its species name "major" is of Middle English origin, meaning "greater." Trouessart likely chose this name because Dobson wrote that it was similar to the little free-tailed bat, but "considerably larger."[3] The holotype had been collected by Francis Galton during his expedition to Egypt. Dobson wrote that the holotype had been collected at the "Cataract of the Nile," though it is unclear which of the six cataracts he was referring to.[3]
Description
In writing about the species, Dobson described it as similar in appearance to the little free-tailed bat. However, he stated that it was "considerably larger." It has very short, dark brown fur; the fur of its back is darker than its ventral side. Its flight membranes are whitish in color.[3]
References
Monadjem, A.; Cotterill, F.P.D.; Hutson, A.M.; Mickleburgh, S.; Bergmans, W. (2017). "Chaerephon major". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T4314A22018874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T4314A22018874.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
Trouessart, E. L. (1897). Catalogus mammalium tam viventium quam fossilium. Vol. 1. Berolini ,R. Friedländer & sohn, 1898-99. p. 146.
Dobson, G. E. (1878). Catalogue of the Chiroptera in the collection of the British Museum. Order of the Trustees. p. 428.
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