Florida Bonneted Bat

The Florida bonneted bat is a member of the Molossidae (free-tailed bats) family within the order Chiroptera. The species is the largest bat in Florida(Owre 1978; Belwood 1992). Males and females are not significantly different in size, and there is no pattern of size-related geographic variation in this species(Timm and Genoways 2004). Members of the genus Eumops have large, rounded pinnae (ears), arising from a single point or joined medially on the forehead (Best et al. 1997). Ears are joined at the midline of the head. This feature, along with its large size, distinguishes the Florida bonneted bat from the smaller Brazilian (=Mexican)free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Eumops are among the narrowest of all molossids (Freeman 1981, as cited in Best et al. 1997) and are well-adapted for rapid, prolonged flight (Vaughan 1959 as cited in Best et al. 1997). This wing structure structure
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