Seychelles Free-tailed Bat

activity

Activity patterns. The Seychelles Free-tailed Bat is nocturnal. Roosts are mostly associated with public buildings in the French colonial style, as these have enclosed attics.

Molossidae

biology_ecology

Habitat. Recorded only in synanthropic situations from sea level to elevations of c. 400 m.

Molossidae

biology_ecology

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Seychelles Free-tailed Bats roost communally in small colonies. Both maternity and mixed-sex colonies have been observed. Based on interviews with people occupying buildings with roosts, colonies may migrate during the cold season.

Molossidae

description

Descriptive notes. Head-body 52 - 57 mm, tail 27 - 36 mm, ear 15 - 18 mm, hindfoot 4 - 6 mm, forearm 36 - 39 mm; weight 5 - 12 g. The Seychelles Free-tailed Bat differs from the Little Free-tailed Bat (C. pumilus) in having distinctly smaller head, as well as in fine differences in external morphology of head, rostrum, nostrils, and ear structure. Pelage is short, lighter brown above than in the Little Free-tailed Bat, and medium brown below, darker than in the Little Free-tailed Bat; white flank-stripe commonly found in the Little Free-tailed Bat is absent in the Seychelles Free-tailed Bat. Upperlip has 5 - 7 or more well-defined wrinkles on each side and many spoon-hairs. Ears are medium brown and relatively small, as in the Little Free-tailed Bat, also containing interaural pouch which houseserectile crest in males. Antitragus is somewhat rounded and arch-shaped, with slight anterior elongation, as opposed to more angular in the Little Free-tailed Bat. Wings are medium brown; tail membrane is dark brown. Nostrils and head are somewhat smaller, and skull is shorter and more pointed, than in the Little Free-tailed Bat. Anterior palate encloses paired palatal foramina. M ” has thir

Molossidae