Chaerephon pumilus (Cretzschmar 1830) [Dysopes] pumilus Cretzschmar 1830, in: Ruppell, Atlas Reise Nordl. Afr., Zool. Saugeth., Vol. 1: 69. Type Locality: Eritrea, Massawa. Vernacular Names: Little Free-tailed Bat. Synonyms: Chaerephon dubius Peters 1852; Chaerephon elphicki Roberts 1926; Chaerephon faini Hayman 1951; Chaerephon gambianus De Winton 1901; Chaerephon hindei Thomas 1904; Chaerephon langi Roberts 1932; Chaerephon limbata Peters 1852; Chaerephon naivashae Hollister 1916; Chaerephon pusillus Miller 1902. Distribution: Senegal to Yemen, south to South Africa; Bioko (Equatorial Guinea); São Tomé; Pemba and Zanzibar; Comoro Isls; Aldabra and Amirante Isls (Seychelles); Madagascar. Conservation: IUCN 2003 and IUCN / SSC Action Plan (2001) – Lower Risk (lc) as C. pumila; Vulnerable as C. pusilla. Discussion: plicatus species group. Includes pusillus; see Hayman and Hill (1971). Does not include leucogaster; see Peterson et al. (1995). Koopman (1994) included leucogaster in pumilus and recognized 12 subspecies in the resulting complex. However, subspecies limits are poorly defined and many populations have not be allocated, rendering any subspecific classification useless. This complex probably includes more than one species; Peterson et al. (1995) recognized hindei, limbata, and naivashae as distinct, but did not diagnose or delimit them. Note that the correct spelling for the specific epithet in combination with Chaerephon is pumilus (not pumila) because the genus name is masculine. Northern records reviewed in part by Harrison and Bates (1991). See Bouchard (1998), but note that she included leucogaster in this species. Specimens reported as pumilus by Happold (1967) actually represent major.

Published as part of Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Chiroptera - Family Molossidae, pp. 432-451 in Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore :The Johns Hopkins University Press on page 435, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7316519