Molossus (bat)
Genus of bats
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Molossus is a genus of bats. The genus contains ten species with a New World distribution from Mexico in the north to northern Argentina at its most southerly limit. Four of these species have distributions that include various islands in the West Indies such as Puerto Rico or Trinidad.[1][2]
| Molossus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Molossus nigricans skeleton at the Smithsonian | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Molossidae |
| Genus: | Molossus É. Geoffroy, 1805 |
| Type species | |
| Vespertilio molossus Pallas, 1766 | |
| Species | |
The genus belongs to a group commonly referred to as free-tailed bats. Its name is from the ancient Molossus breed of shepherd dog.[3]
Systematics
The following species are recognised:
- Molossus alvarezi
- Molossus aztecus Saussure, 1860[4]
- Molossus bondae
- Molossus coibensis Allen, 1904[4]
- Molossus currentium Thomas, 1901[4]
- Molossus molossus (Pallas, 1766)[4]
- Molossus pretiosus Miller, 1902[4]
- Molossus rufus E. Geoffroy, 1805[4]
- Molossus sinaloae
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