2, see text Cheiromeles is a genus of bats in the family Molossidae, the free-tailed bats.

[1] 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.

[2] These bats have mostly hairless bodies and fold their wings into pouches of skin along their bodies when at rest.

[3] These are among the largest insectivorous bats, weighing up to 135 grams.

This Molossidae-related article is a stub.