Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A new species of mastiff bat (Chiroptera: Molossidae: Molossus) from Mexico

  • Original Investigation
  • Published:
Mammalian Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We describe a new species of mastiff bat (Molossus) from Mexico on the basis of 46 specimens that differ from all other species of Molossus in size, pelage coloration, and morphological characteristics. The new species is most similar to, and specimens were previously identified as, M. sinaloae; but there is no overlap in most skull measurements and the two species differ in development of sagittal and lambdoidal crests and in certain dental characteristics. M. sinaloae occurs in the dry, low tropical deciduous forest of the Pacific versant of Mexico from Sinaloa to Chiapas, a large geographic gap separates it from the new species, which has been found only in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Resumen

Una nueva especie del género Molossus es descrita con base a 46 ejemplares de colecciones científicas. Esta nueva especie se puede distinguir de las otras especies del género Molossus por el tamaño, la coloración del pelaje y otras características morfológicas. Durante muchos años este nuevo murciélago fue confundido como M. sinaloae, pero la mayoría de las medidas craneales no se sobreponen entre las 2 especies, además el desarrollo de las crestas sagital y lamboidea y las características dentales son diferentes. M. sinaloae se distribuye en Mexico en la vertiente del Pacífico desde Sinaloa hasta Chipas dentro de selva baja caducifolia, y existe una amplia interrupción geográfica que la separa de la nueva especie, la cual se encuentra en la Península de Yucatán.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, J.A., 1906. Mammals from the states of Sinaloa and Jalisco Mexico, collected by J. H. Batty during 1904 and 1905. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 22, 191–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Álvarez, T., 1968. Notas sobre una colección de mamíferos de la región costera del Río Balsas entre Michoacán y Guerrero. Rev. Soc. Mex. Hist. Nat. 29, 21–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Álvarez, T., Aviña, C.E., 1964. Nuevos registros en México de la familia Molossidae. Rev. Soc. Mex. Hist. Nat. 25, 243–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., 1996. Los Mamíferos del Estadode Morelos. Centrode Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birney, E.C., Bowles, J.B., Timm, R.M., Williams, S.L., 1974. Mammalian distributional records in Yucatan and Quintana Roo, with comments on reproduction, structure, and status of peninsular populations. Occas. Papers Bell Mus. Nat. Hist. 13, 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowles, J.B., 1972. Notes on reproduction in four species of bats from Yucatan, Mexico. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 75, 271–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowles, J.B., Heideman, P.D., Erickson, K.R., 1990. Observations of six species of free-tailed bats (Molossidae) from Yucatan, Mexico. Southwestern Nat. 35, 151–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Briones-Salas, M., Sánchez-Cordero, V., 2004. Mamíferos. In: García-Mendoza, A.J., Ordóñez, M.J., Briones-Salas, M. (Eds.), Biodiversidad de Oaxaca. Instituto de Biología, UNAM, Fondo Oaxaqueño para la Conservación de la Naturaleza y World Wildlife Found, México, pp. 423–447.

  • De la Torre, L., 1955. Bats from Guerrero, Jalisco and Oaxaca, Mexico. Fieldiana: Zool. 37, 695–701.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, P.G., 1989. Systematics of Middle American mastiff bats of the genus Molossus. Spec. Publ. Mus. Texas Tech Univ. 29, 1–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eger, J.L., 2008. Family Molossidae. In: Gardner, A.L. (Ed.), Mammals of South America Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews, and Bats, vol. 1. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, pp. 399–440.

    Google Scholar 

  • Engstrom, M.D., Genoways, H.H., Tucker, P.K., 1987. In: Patterson, B.D., Tim, R.M. (Eds.), Morphological variation, karyology, and systematic relationships of Heteromys gaumeri (Rodentia: Heteromyidae). Studies in Neotropical Mammalogy: essays in honor of Phillip Hershkovitz. Fieldiana: Zool., pp. 289–303.

  • Freeman, P.W., 1981. A multivariate study of the Family Molossidae (Mammalia Chiroptera): morphology, ecology, evolution. Fieldiana: Zool. 7, 1–173, new series.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaona, S., González-Christen, A., López-Wilchis, R., 2003. Síntesis del conocimiento de los mamíferos silvestres del Estado de Veracruz. México. Rev. Soc. Mex. Hist. Nat. 3a, 91–123, serie 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Ruiz, N., Navarro-Frías, J., Álvarez, T., Álvarez-Castaneda, S.T., 2004. In: Castro Campillo, A., Ortega, J. (Eds.), Los murciélagos del Estado de México en la Colección de Mamíferos de la Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, IPN. Homenaje a la trayectoria mastozoológica de José Ramírez Pulido. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, pp. 53–82.

  • Goodwin, G.G., 1956. A preliminary report on the mammals collected by Thomas MacDougall in southeastern Oaxaca, México. Am. Mus. Nov. 1757, 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, G.G., 1959. Descriptions of some new mammals. Am. Mus. Nov. 1967, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, G.G., 1969. Mammals from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, in the American Museum of Natural History. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 141, 1–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, G.G., Greenhall, A.M., 1964. A new record of bats from Trinidad and comments on the status of Molossus trinitatus Goodwin. Am. Mus. Nov. 2195, 1–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Handley Jr., C.O., 1966. Checklist of the mammals of Panama. In: Wenzel, R.L., Tipton, V.J. (Eds.), Ectoparasites of Panama. Field Mus. Nat. Hist, Chicago, IL, pp. 753–795.

  • Hall, E.R., 1981. The mammals of North America, second ed. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, 1:1-600 + 90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, E.R., Dalquest, W.W., 1963. The mammals of Veracruz. Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist. 14, 165–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hintze, J.L., 2000. NCSS 2000 Statistical System for Windows. User’s Guide. Kaysville, UT.

  • Husson, A.M., 1978. The mammals of Suriname. Zoologische monographieen van het Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, no. 2. E.J. Brill, Leiden, xxxiv + 569 pp. + 160 pls.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, J.B., Best, T.L., Rainey, J.C., Burnett, S.E., 2000. Molossus pretiosus. Mammalian Species 635, 1–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, J.B., Best, T.L., Burnett, S.E., Rainey, J.C., 2002. Molossus sinaloae. Mammalian Species 691, 1–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones Jr., J.K., Smith, J.D., Genoways, H.H., 1972. Annotated checklist of mammals of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. I. Chiroptera. Occas. Papers Mus. Texas Tech Univ. 13, 1–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koopman, K.F., 1994. Chiroptera: Systematics. Handbook of Zoology, vol. VIII. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York, part 60.

    Google Scholar 

  • López-González, C., Presley, S.J., 2001. Taxonomic status of Molossus bondae J.A. Allen, 1904 (Chiroptera: Molossidae), with description of a new subspecies. J. Mammal. 82, 760–774.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lukens Jr., P.W., Davis, W.B., 1957. Bats of the Mexican state of Guerrero. J. Mammal. 38, 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MaNIS, 2008. Mammal Networked Information System (accessed February) http://manisnet.org.

  • Miller Jr., G.S., 1913. Notes on the bats of genus Molossus. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 46, 85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ojasti, J., Linares, O.J., 1971. Adiciones a la fauna de murciélagos de Venezuela con notas sobre las especies del género Diclidurus (Chiroptera). Acta Biol. Venezuelica 7, 421–441.

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, R.D., Qumsiyeh, M.B., 1987. The subespecies problem in the Trident leaf-nosed bat Asellia tridens to monomorphism in widely separated population. Z. Säugetierkunde 52, 329–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paynter Jr., R.A., 1955. The ornithogeography of Yucatan Peninsula. Bull. Peabody. Mus. Nat. Hist. Yale Univ. 9, 1–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Hernández, C., Chávez-Tapia, C.B., Núñez-Garduño, A., Ceballos-Corona, E., Gurrola-Hidalgo, M.A., 1985. Notes on distribution and reproduction of bats from coastal regions of Michoacan, Mexico. J. Mammal. 66, 549–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Hernández, C., Romero Almaraz, Ma. de L., 1995. Murciélagos de Tabasco y Campeche. Una propuesta para su conservación. Inst. Biol., Univ. Nac. Autó. Méx., Cuadernos 24, 1–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Herrera, O., Téllez G.F.G., Medellín, R.A., Urbano V.F.G., 1986. New records of mammals from Quintana Roo, Mexico. Mammalia 50, 275–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons, N., 2005. Order Chiroptera. In: Wilson, D.E., Reeder, D.M. (Eds.), Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 3rd edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp. 312–529.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmons, N., Voss, R.S., 1998. The mammals of Paracou, French Guiana: a neotropical lowland rainforest fauna part 1. Bats. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 237, 1–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Villa-R, B., 1955. Otros murciélagos nuevos para la fauna de México. An. Inst. Biol., Univ. Nac. Autó. Méx. 26, 543–545.

    Google Scholar 

  • Villa-R, B., 1967. Los murciélagos de México. Su importancia en la economía y la salubridad — Su clasificación sistemática. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

  • Watkins, L.C., Jones Jr., J.K., Genoways, H.H., 1972. Bats of Jalisco. Mexico. Spec. Publ. Mus., Texas Tech Univ. 1, 1–44.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. División C.B.S., Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Apartado Postal 55-535, Mexico D.F., 09340, Mexico

    Noé González-Ruiz & José Ramírez-Pulido

  2. Laboratorio de Arqueozoología “M. en C. Ticul Álvarez Solórzano”, Subdirección de Laboratorios y Apoyo Académico, INAH, Moneda # 16, Col. Centro, Mexico D.F., 06060, Mexico

    Joaquín Arroyo-Cabrales

Authors
  1. Noé González-Ruiz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. José Ramírez-Pulido
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joaquín Arroyo-Cabrales
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joaquín Arroyo-Cabrales.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

González-Ruiz, N., Ramírez-Pulido, J. & Arroyo-Cabrales, J. A new species of mastiff bat (Chiroptera: Molossidae: Molossus) from Mexico. Mamm Biol 76, 461–469 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2010.06.004

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2010.06.004

Keywords

Search

Navigation