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Velvety Free-tailed Bat
Molossus molossus
The velvety free-tailed bat (Molossus molossus) is a species of bat found in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.
From the article Velvety free-tailed bat on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Range & habitat
It occurs in the Americas from Argentina north to Cuba and Mexico and also the Florida Keys in the United States. It is very common in the Caribbean. A velvety free-tailed bat has been observed being killed by a giant centipede (Scolopendra viridicornis) in the Amazon. The lone bat had been roosting inside a man-made wooden structure in Cristalino State Park before the centipede grabbed it with its legs and injected venom into its neck. This observation is notable due to the rarity of centipede predation on bats.
Wikipedia: “Distribution and habitat”
What it does
The velvety free-tailed bat forages in open areas, above tree canopies, around forest edges, and around streams and ponds. Its diet includes moths, beetles, and flying ants. It is commonly seen at dusk, where it will fly solo, catching insects in the air.
Wikipedia: “Feeding”
Listen
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Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
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Every page naming Molossus molossus in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 41254.