Little free-tailed bat
A species of Old world free-tail bats Scientific name : Chaerephon pumilus Genus : Old world free-tail bats
Little free-tailed bat, A species of Old world free-tail bats
Botanical name: Chaerephon pumilus
Genus: Old world free-tail bats
Content
Description General Info
Description
The little free-tailed bat is one of the smallest species in the genus Chaerephon, and a total body length is measured from 54 to 102 mm. The ventral fur has lighter color than the dorsal fur, which is short and blackish-brown. Pale or white hairs are observed on the ventral surface where wings are connected to flanks, and both white-winged (north-eastern African species) and dark-winged (southern African species) types have been found. This species has round ears that are large for its head size. The small tragus of its ear, which is asymmetrically bilobed at the end, is covered by the large antitragus. A distinguishable forehead tuft is observed in males and it makes their outline recognizable during flight. This species shows great morphological variations in wing and pelage colors resulted in different taxonomic designations depending on its distributional ranges. To illustrate, the little free-tailed bat population found in Amani, Tanzania, has a longer forearm length on average than populations in southern Africa and Ghana and a higher wing loading than populations in South Africa. 
Life Expectancy
5-7 years
Feeding Habits
The little free-tailed bat is insectivorous and feeds on a wide range of small insects. Coleoptera (beetles), Hemiptera (true bugs) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) are major prey for this species. During both summer and winter seasons, they mainly prey on Hemiptera and Lepidoptera, while Diptera (flies) notably contributes to the diet only in the winter and Coleoptera is common only in the summer. However, depending on distributional ranges, types of prey can be varied considerably. For instance, a population found in Amani, Tanzania, mainly feeds on Blattodea (cockroaches) with Hemiptera as the only other order to account for more than 10% of the diet. In South Africa, even though prey is equally available during both dry and rainy seasons, mean size of prey tends to increase in the rainy season.
Habitat
Little free-tailed bats occur across southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, sub-Saharan Africa, and islands of the west Africa and east shores of Africa, such as Sno Tomé, Bioko, Zanzibar, Pemba, the Comoros, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. Habitats of little free-tailed bats are various from rainforest regions in the south to semiarid areas in the north, which are typically open foraging regions. These bats are found in savannas of Sudan, Guinea, and Zambia, in the Cape Macchia Zone, and more arid countries in the north. Also, they tend to prefer low veld areas in Zimbabwe, but they are never found on the plateau higher than 1,000 meter altitude.
General Info
Behavior
Little free-tailed bat is a nocturnal, insectivorous species, known for its spectacle flights and feeding highest above the ground compared to other bat species. It displays a gregarious nature, forming large maternity colonies in hollow trees or buildings, and frequently communally roosting. Little free-tailed bat also exhibits seasonal migrations linked to food availability and breeding.
Distribution Area
Little free-tailed bats occur across southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, sub-Saharan Africa, and islands of the west Africa and east shores of Africa, such as Sno Tomé, Bioko, Zanzibar, Pemba, the Comoros, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. Habitats of little free-tailed bats are various from rainforest regions in the south to semiarid areas in the north, which are typically open foraging regions. These bats are found in savannas of Sudan, Guinea, and Zambia, in the Cape Macchia Zone, and more arid countries in the north. Also, they tend to prefer low veld areas in Zimbabwe, but they are never found on the plateau higher than 1,000 meter altitude.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Mammals Order
Bats Family
Free-tailed bat Genus
Old world free-tail bats Species
Little free-tailed bat 
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