Nigerian free-tailed bat
The Nigerian free-tailed bat (Chaerephon nigeriae) is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is native to two widely separated parts of Africa, and is sometimes considered to represent two separate species. Description The Nigerian free-tailed bat is one of the larger lesser mastiff bats, measuring about in body length, with a tail. It has very dark brown fur, with bands of white hair on the lower surfaces of the wings join the body. The wings and the membranes between the legs are white and translucent. The head is flattened in shape, with large round ears connected by a band of skin rolled over into a ridge. Males have a crest of hair behind this ridge, which they can raise, apparently as a display to females. Distribution and habitat The Nigerian free-tailed bat has two subspecies, found in distinct regions of Africa. The nominate subspecies, N. nigeriae nigeriae, is found in a band of territory running from Sierra Leone in the west to extreme northern Congo in the east, and occasionally as far east as Ethiopia. A more southerly subspecies, N. nigeriae spillmanni, is found from the southernmost parts of Congo to Botswana and from Angola to Tanzania