Madagascar free-tailed bat

The Madagascar free-tailed bat or Malagasy giant mastiff bat (Otomops madagascariensis) is a species of free-tailed bat endemic to northern, western and southern Madagascar. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the large-eared free-tailed bat but is now considered a distinct Malagasy species. It is thought to be an obligate cave dweller and roosts in areas with sandstone and limestone outcrops; the caves it used in the Ankarana Special Reserve were cool, high and close to water. Its diet consists mostly of butterflies and beetles, and its foraging habitats are not believed to be tied to intact forest. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern because of its wide distribution in Madagascar. Nine roosting colonies are known, all in areas with some protection, and it has been recorded in five protected areas, including Tsingy de Bemaraha, Namoroka, Isalo, Ankarana and Analamerana. One of its caves is considered fady, or taboo. Its population size is unknown and threats are unclear.