Molossus molossus molossus, the velvety free-tailed bat, ranges
from Mexico to Argentina including the Caribbean islands, also
occurring in the Florida Keys. One of the most common members of
the clade Molossidae, these bats are commonly encountered in
attics and thatched roofs throughout their range (their natural
roost sites are in tree hollows). Like other members of
Molossidae, mastiff bats are characterized by high-aspect-ratio
wings – wings that are very long and narrow. This wing
morphology facilitates very fast, efficient flight. However, it
makes it very difficult for these bats to take off from a flat
surface. If you capture one and hold it on the palm of your
hand, it cannot fly away. Rather, these bats must drop or jump
from a height to gain enough speed to start flying. About the
Species This whole gravid preserved specimen of Molossus
molossus (AMNH 149261) is part of the American Museum of Natural
History Mammalogy Collection. The specimen was made available to
the High-Resolution X-ray CT Faci