Ozimops beccarii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ozimops beccarii |
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Ozimops
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beccarii
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The Beccari's free-tailed bat (Ozimops beccarii) is a cool type of bat. It belongs to the free-tailed bat family, called Molossidae. You can find these bats living in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
These bats are quite adaptable! They live in many different places. This includes savanna grasslands, wet tropical forests, and even in cities or areas where forests have been broken up. They like to rest, or "roost," in trees, caves, and buildings. They usually live in small groups. This bat is quite common and is not considered to be in danger of disappearing.
How It Got Its Name
The Ozimops beccarii bat was first described in 1881. A German scientist named Wilhelm Peters gave it its name. The "beccarii" part of its name honors Odoardo Beccari. He was the person who found the first example of this bat on Ambon Island in Indonesia.
For a while, people thought this bat also lived in Australia. But in 2014, scientists realized the bats in Australia were actually a different species. They named that one Mormopterus lumsdenae.
Where It Lives and What It Does
Beccari's free-tailed bats are known for roosting in places where people live, like inside houses! They also like to rest in hollow parts of Melaleuca trees. One bat was even found using a cave as its home.
Where to Find Them
You can find Ozimops beccarii bats in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. They live in areas from sea level up to about 300 meters (about 984 feet) high.
Is It Safe?
As of 2017, the IUCN (a group that checks on animals) says this bat is a least-concern species. This means it's not currently threatened. It's listed this way because its favorite places to live are common. Scientists also think the bat is found in many places. Plus, there are no big dangers known for this species.
Even though it's not often seen, and only about twenty places have recorded it, this is probably because not many surveys have been done in its region. Scientists believe there are likely more than 10,000 of these bats alive.
