Coiban Mastuff Bat vs Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Molossus coibensis compared with Hippopotamus amphibius

Key Differences

• Coiban Mastuff Bat is Least Concern while Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coiban Mastuff Bat	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Chiroptera (morcego)	Artiodactyla (Artiodátilos)
Family	Molossidae	Hippopotamidae (Hippos)
Genus	Molossus	Hippopotamus (Hippos)
Species	Molossus coibensis	Hippopotamus amphibius

Evolutionary Relationship

Coiban Mastuff Bat and Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamíferos)

Conservation Status

Coiban Mastuff Bat

LC — Least Concern

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~130.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coiban Mastuff Bat	Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	40 years
Average Length	—	3.5 m
Average Weight	—	1.5 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coiban Mastuff Bat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Coiban Mastuff Bat

The Coiban Mastuff Bat (Molossus coibensis) is a small free-tailed bat in the family Molossidae, named for Coiba Island off the Pacific coast of Panama, where specimens were first collected. Members of the genus Molossus are robust, fast-flying insectivores adapted to open-air foraging above the forest canopy and over water, characterised by narrow wings and a tail that extends beyond the patagium (wing membrane). Molossus coibensis inhabits lowland tropical forests and adjacent open habitats in Central America and northwestern South America, with confirmed records from Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Panama, indicating a distributional range that extends well beyond its type locality on Coiba Island. Like other mastiff bats, it roosts in crevices within buildings, rock faces, and hollow trees, emerging at dusk to pursue aerial insects at speed. The species feeds primarily on large beetles, moths, and other night-flying insects, typically hunted high above the forest. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN based on its relatively wide range and tolerance of modified habitats. Molossus coibensis was long treated as a subspecies of Molossus molossus before being recognised as a distinct species based on morphological and molecular evidence. Ecological and life-history data specific to this taxon remain limited.

Common Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus, Large Hippo

O mamífero terrestre grande mais perigoso da África, o hipopótamo-comum (Hippopotamus amphibius) pode atingir 3.200 kg e habita rios, lagos e zonas úmidas da África subsaariana. Semiacuático, passa até 16 horas diárias submerso para se refrescar e pasta em terra à noite. Apesar da aparência dócil, é extremamente agressivo e territorial, responsável por centenas de mortes humanas por ano. Classificado como Vulnerável, suas populações são ameaçadas pela perda de habitat e pela caça ilegal de presas de marfim.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia