|Scientific Name:||Molossus rufus|
|Species Authority:||É. Geoffroy, 1805|
Molossus ater É. Geoffroy, 1805 [incorrect use of name]
|Taxonomic Notes:||This species is called ater by many authors, but see Dolan (1989), who argued, based on descriptions of head and ear shape of both taxa, and examination of the specimens labelled as types of rufus in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, that Molossus ater Geoffroy, 1805, is really an Eumops, and that rufus is really the correct name for the large Molossus often incorrectly called ater. This species requires taxonomic revision and studies (Barquez pers. comm.).|
|Red List Category & Criteria:||Least Concern ver 3.1|
|Assessor(s):||Barquez, R., Rodriguez, B., Miller, B. & Diaz, M.|
This species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.
|Previously published Red List assessments:|
|Range Description:||This species is found from Tamaulipas, Michoacan and Sinaloa (Mexico) to Peru, northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, the Guianas and Trinidad (Simmons 2005).|
Native:Argentina; Belize; Bolivia, Plurinational States of; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Trinidad and Tobago; Uruguay
|Range Map:||Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.|
|Population:||A study carried out in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, found that colonies of this species can exceed more than 500, with both sexes present. Between April to July the proportion of males overcomes that of females, while in other months females prevailed. This species has seasonal reproduction. Females arrived by July and the numbers increased until November. Pregnant females were captured between September, October, November and February. Lactating females were observed in August, October, November, December and February. Active males were observed in all months, being overcome by males with abdominal testes only in July (Esberard 2002).|
|Current Population Trend:||Stable|
|Habitat and Ecology:||It roosts in buildings, and is hardly captured outside the roosts. It is found in tropical deciduous forests, evergreen, shrubs, oak forest and secondary vegetation (Santos and Castro-Arellano 2005).|
|Use and Trade:||This species is not used.|
|Major Threat(s):||There are no known threats to this species.|
|Conservation Actions:||It is found in protected areas. This species needs taxonomic review.|
Dolan, P.G. 1989. Systematics of Middle American mastiff bats of the genus Molossus. Special Publications of the Museum of Texas Tech University 29: 1–71.
Esbérard, C. 2002. Composição e reprodução de Molossus rufus (E. Geoffroy)(Chiroptera:Phyllostomidae) em um refúgio no sudeste do Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 19( 4): 1153-1160.
IUCN. 2015. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015-4. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 November 2015).
Santos, M. and Castro-Arellano, I. 2005. Molossus rufus. In: G. Ceballos and G. Oliva (eds), Los mamíferos silvestres de México, pp. 325. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad and Fondo de Cultura Económica, México.
Simmons, N.B. 2005. Order Chiroptera. In: D.E. Wilson and D.M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 312-529. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.
|Citation:||Barquez, R., Rodriguez, B., Miller, B. & Diaz, M. 2015. Molossus rufus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T13644A22107969.Downloaded on 24 August 2016.|
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