Cheiromeles

Cheiromeles is a genus of bats in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats.<ref>Template:MSW3</ref> The genus was erected and described by Thomas Horsfield, who developed the name from the Greek word cheir ("hand"), a reference to the hand-like hindfoot, which has a toe that flexes like an opposable thumb.<ref name=leong>Leong, T. M., et al. (2009). The naked bulldog bat, Cheiromeles torquatus in Singapore—past and present records, with highlights on its unique morphology (Microchiroptera: Molossidae). Template:Webarchive Nature in Singapore 2, 215-30.</ref> These bats have mostly hairless bodies and fold their wings into pouches of skin along their bodies when at rest.<ref>Reichard, J. D., et al. (2010). Thermal windows on Brazilian free-tailed bats facilitate thermoregulation during prolonged flight.Template:Dead link Template:Cbignore Integrative and Comparative Biology 50(3) 358-70.</ref> These are among the largest insectivorous bats, weighing up to 135 grams.<ref>Norberg, U. M. L. & Norberg, R. Å. (2012). Scaling of wingbeat frequency with body mass in bats and limits to maximum bat size. The Journal of Experimental Biology 215(5), 711-22.</ref>

There are two species in this genus:<ref name=leong/>

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