Mammals · Chiroptera · Molossidae

Pallas's Mastiff Bat

Molossus molossus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Pallas's mastiff bat is one of the commonest and most urban bats in Latin America. It owes its name to a flat, wrinkled muzzle reminiscent of a mastiff's. It has the narrow, pointed wings of a fast open-air flier, and hunts mainly beetles and flying ants in the first hours of the night. It forms colonies in roofs, cavity walls and expansion joints in buildings, which has made it a regular neighbour in tropical cities.

Weight

10 g – 20 g

Size

6 cm – 8 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Crepuscular

Active above all at dawn and dusk.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaRainforestGrasslandInsectivore Crepuscular Colonial Savanna Rainforest Grassland Mammal

17countries 65parks2same family

Fun facts

It concentrates its hunting into two very short peaks, just after dusk and before dawn: it can fill its stomach in less than an hour and spend the rest of the night at rest.
It is one of the great free pest controllers of tropical cities: a medium-sized colony eats several kilos of insects every night.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Roofs, cavities in buildings and trees in urban and rural areas of tropical America
Sexual maturity: 3.4 months
Gestation / incubation: 3.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvety_free-tailed_bat