free-tailed bat

/free"tayld'/

any of various small, swift, insect-eating bats of the family Molossidae, common in warm climates, having thick, leathery ears and a tail that projects well beyond the tail membrane.

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Any of about 90 species of bats (family Molossidae), found worldwide in warm regions, that are named for the way part of the tail extends beyond the membrane attached between the hind legs.

Also known as mastiff or bulldog bats because of their facial resemblance to those dogs, free-tailed bats are swift fliers with a stout body and long, slender wings. They are about 1.6–5 in. (4–13 cm) long, excluding the 0.6–3-in. (1.5–8-cm) tail, and typically have small eyes, a heavy snout, large ears, and dark fur. They eat insects and roost in tree hollows, caves, and buildings. Most species live in groups; some, including the Mexican free-tailed bat, form colonies of several million. In the past, guano from such colonies was mined for fertilizer and for sodium nitrate (used to make gunpowder).

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▪ mammal

also called  mastiff bat 

      any of 100 species of bats, so called for the way in which part of the tail extends somewhat beyond the membrane connecting the hind legs. Some free-tailed bats are also known as mastiff bats because their faces bear a superficial resemblance to those dogs.

      Swift fliers with long, slender wings, free-tailed bats are small-eyed, often heavy-snouted bats about 4–13 cm (1.6–5.1 inches) long excluding the 1.5–8-cm (0.6–3.1-inch) tail. Their ears are large and are joined across the forehead in some species. Except for the naked, or hairless, bat (Cheiromeles torquatus), which is almost hairless, they have short, velvety, usually dark fur.

      Free-tailed bats eat insects and roost in tree hollows, caves, and buildings. They are found worldwide in warm regions. Most species live in groups, and some form colonies with populations numbering in the millions, such as the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) colonies at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and in downtown Austin, Texas. In the past, guano (excrement) was mined from caves in which the bats roosted and was used as fertilizer and to produce sodium nitrate for gunpowder. Free-tailed bats do not hibernate (hibernation), but some species migrate seasonally.

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