The bat

Bat

Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...

 genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Mormopterus belongs to a group commonly referred to as "free-tailed bats" (although that term can refer to any bat in the family Molossidae). Mormopterus bats were once included in the genus Tadarida

Tadarida

The genus Tadarida has ten or more species of bats divided into two subgenera, with the first of these containing seven species spread across the Old World...

but they have since been proven genetically distinct.

This genus is currently in a state of ongoing study as to its true affinities within the rest of the Molossidae, but as it currently stands, it contains two subgenera, one Australasian containing five species, the other a wide-ranging group with seven species including the western side of South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 as far south as northern Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, Sumatra

Sumatra

Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 and East Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 including Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 within its far-flung range.

They are as a group somewhat smaller in size in comparison to the majority of the family though still have the long, narrow wings for fast direct flight, very characteristic of this family though some of the Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n species can also scurry after prey on the ground, which is quite unusual behaviour for such aerial animals.

There are twelve species within two subgenera:

• subgenus Mormopterus
  Mormopterus (subgenus)
  Mormopterus is a subgenus of the identically-named Mormopterus genus of bats.It is wide-ranging with six species, and includes the western side of South America as far south as northern Chile, Cuba, Sumatra, South Africa and East Africa including Madagascar within its far-flung range. Species in...
  
  
  • Natal Free-Tailed Bat
    Natal Free-Tailed Bat
    The Natal Free-Tailed Bat is a species of bat found in Ethiopia, Mauritius, Réunion, South Africa, and possibly Madagascar. Its habitat is restricted, and threats include habitat loss due to landfills and tourism.-References:...
    
     (M. acetabulosus)
  • Mormopterus francoismoutoui
  • Sumatran Mastiff Bat
    Sumatran Mastiff Bat
    The Sumatran Mastiff Bat is a species of bat found in Indonesia. Synonyms include Tadarida and Micronomus. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
    
     (M. doriae)
  • Peter's Wrinkle-Lipped Bat
    Peter's Wrinkle-Lipped Bat
    Peter's Wrinkle-Lipped Bat is a species of bat found in Madagascar. It is threatened by ongoing habitat loss.-References:...
    
     (M. jugularis)
  • Kalinowski's Mastiff Bat
    Kalinowski's Mastiff Bat
    Kalinowski's Mastiff Bat is a species of bat found in Chile and Peru. It is threatened by ongoing habitat loss.-References:...
    
     (M. kalinowskii)
  • Little Goblin Bat
    Little Goblin Bat
    The Little Goblin Bat is a species of bat found in Cuba. It is threatened by ongoing habitat loss. It belongs to the subgenus Mormopterus.-References:...
    
     (M. minutus)
  • Incan Little Mastiff Bat
    Incan Little Mastiff Bat
    The Incan Little Mastiff Bat is a species of bat found in Peru. It belongs to the subgenus Micronomus.The species is red listed as an endangered as of 2008, mainly because of it is known only from a single location, near the Urubamba River in Peru. It has not been found in nearby suitable...
    
     (M. phrudus)
• subgenus Micronomus
  Micronomus
  Micronomus is a subgenus of the Mormopterus genus of bats. It is Australasian and contains three species:* Beccari's Mastiff Bat * Eastern Little Mastiff Bat * Southern Free-Tailed Bat ...
  
  
  • Beccari's Mastiff Bat
    Beccari's Mastiff Bat
    Beccari's Free-tailed Bat or Beccari's Mastiff Bat, , is a species of bat that lives in Australia, Indonesia , and Papua New Guinea.-References:...
    
     (M. beccarii)
  • Mormopterus eleryi
  • Mormopterus loriae
  • Eastern Little Mastiff Bat
    Eastern Little Mastiff Bat
    The East-coast Free-tailed Bat or Eastern Little Mastiff Bat, , is a species of bat native to Australia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and is found along the east coast of Australia within New South Wales. It belongs to the subgenus Micronomus.Little...
    
     (M. norfolkensis)
  • Southern Free-Tailed Bat
    Southern Free-Tailed Bat
    The Southern Free-Tailed Bat is a species of bat found in Australia, Indonesia , and Papua New Guinea.-References:...
    
     (M. planiceps)

In addition, Peters's Flat-headed Bat

Peters's Flat-headed Bat

Peters's Flat-headed Bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae, and belongs to the monotypic genus Platymops. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and rocky areas....

 (Platymops setiger) and Roberts's Flat-headed Bat

Roberts's Flat-headed Bat

The Roberts's Flat-headed Bat is a species of bat in the family Molossidae. It is found in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and a small part of western Mozambique. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss...

(Sauromys petrophilus) were once thought to belong to this genus.