Ozimops kitcheneri, McKenzie, Reardon & Adams, 2014

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 598-672 : 670

122.

South-western Free-tailed Bat

Ozimops kitcheneri

French: Tadaride de Kitchener / German: Stdwestliche Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Murciélago rabudo de Kitchener

Other common names: Western Free-tailed Bat, Western Mastiff Bat

Taxonomy. Mormopterus (Ozimops) kitcheneri McKenzie, Reardon & Adams in Reardon et al., 2014,

“ 20 km north-west of Balladonia, Western Australia. 32.252°S, 123.431°E.”

Ozimops kitchener : was previously synonymized with O. planiceps . It was identified as a distinct taxon (“species 4 population O”) by M. Adams and colleagues in 1988, and informally known by that identity until formally described by T. B. Reardon and colleagues in 2014 and placed in the Mormopterus subgenus Ozimops . Ozimops was then elevated to genuslevel by S. M.Jackson and C. P. Groves in 2015. Monotypic. Distribution. Restricted to S Western Australia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 55-60 mm, tail 28-36 mm, forearm 33-35 mm; weight 8-10- 5 g. Fur on head and back is gray or brown with pale bases; lighter on underside. Ears are triangular. Skin on ears, wings, and muzzle is dark brown. Males are distinguishable from all other Ozimops species by having a penis thatis shorter than 7- 5 mm but with pointed bacular mound. Skull is very flat. The species can be distinguished from other Ozimops by a unique combination of allozyme alleles with number offixed differences ranging from two to ten.

Habitat. Semiarid and mesic eucalypt forests and woodlands.

Food and Feeding. South-western Free-tailed Bats hunt flying insects above the canopy, taking them in high-speed passes at ¢. 25-30 km /h.

Breeding. Females give birth to single young during early summer (December).

Activity patterns. South-western Free-tailed Bats usually roost in tree hollows, although small colonies have been found in the roofs of buildings.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. South-western Free-tailed Bats are colonial.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Mormopterus kitcheneri ), due to its very large range (c. 350,000 km?) and area of occupancy (not estimated). The South-western Free-tailed Bat uses a broad range of habitats and is common in suitable habitat, so is presumed to have a large population size. There are no data on population trends forthis species, but a significant reduction in population size since colonial expansion from the late 1800s can be inferred from land clearing data.

Bibliography. Adams et al. (1988), Bullen et al. (2016), Jackson & Groves (2015), McKenzie & Bullen (2008), Reardon et al. (2014).

Figures

On following pages: 105. Roberts's Flat-headed Bat (Sauromys petrophilus); 106. Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis); 107. European Free-tailed Bat (7adarida teniotis); 108. Egyptian Free-tailed Bat (7adarida aegyptiaca); 109. Kenyan Big-eared Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida lobata); 110. African Giant Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida ventralis); 111. Malagasy Free-tailed Bat (7adarida fulminans); 112. East Asian Free-tailed Bat (7adarida insignis); 113. La Touche's Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida latouchei); 114. New Guinea Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus kuboriensis); 115. White-striped Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus australis); 116. East Coast Free-tailed Bat (Micronomus norfolkensis); 117. Beccari's Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops beccaril); 118. Northern Coastal Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops cobourgianus); 119. Cape York Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops hall); 120. South-western Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops kitchener); 121. Loria’s Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops loriae); 122. Lumsden'’s Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops lumsdenae); 123. Inland Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops petersi); 124. Southern Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops planiceps); 125. Ride's Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops ride); 126. Hairy-nosed Free-tailed Bat (Setirostris eleryi).

Ozimops kitchener : was previously synonymized with O. planiceps . It was identified as a distinct taxon (“species 4 population O”) by M. Adams and colleagues in 1988, and informally known by that identity until formally described by T. B. Reardon and colleagues in 2014 and placed in the Mormopterus subgenus Ozimops . Ozimops was then elevated to genuslevel by S. M.Jackson and C. P. Groves in 2015. Monotypic. Distribution. Restricted to S Western Australia.