Blyth's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus lepidus) is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found across southern Asia from Afghanistan to Vietnam. The species can be identified from its pointed, bifid sella.
| Blyth's horseshoe bat | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Rhinolophidae |
| Genus: | Rhinolophus |
| Species: | R. lepidus
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhinolophus lepidus Blyth, 1844
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| Blyth's Horseshoe Bat range | |
Taxonomy
editBlyth's horseshoe bat was described as a new species in 1844 by English zoologist Edward Blyth. Blyth noted that the holotype had likely been collected near Kolkata, India.[2]
Description
editIndividuals have a forearm length of around 42 mm (1.7 in).[3]
Biology and ecology
editThe Blyth's horseshoe bat population on Tioman Island, Malaysia, is known to fly and hunt in the forest during the day and night. It is thought that these bats can forage during the day owing to the absence of resident avian predators in the forest there.[4] It uses echolocation to navigate, flying in a fluttering style through cluttered airspace in search of insect prey. Its echolocation signal frequency is around 91 kHz.[3]
Range and habitat
editBlyth's horseshoe bat is widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia, and has been documented in the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is found at a range of elevations from 0–2,338 m (0–7,671 ft) above sea level.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Srinivasulu, B.; Csorba, G.; Srinivasulu, C. (2019). "Rhinolophus lepidus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T19547A21977419. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T19547A21977419.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Blyth, Edward (1844). "Notices of various Mammalia, with descriptions of many new species". The Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 13: 486–487.
- ^ a b Shi, Li-min; Feng, Jiang; Liu, Ying; Ye, Gen-Xian; Zhu, Xu (2009). "Is food resource partitioning responsible for deviation of echolocation call frequencies from allometry in Rhinolophus macrotis?". Acta Theriologica. 54 (4): 371–382. doi:10.4098/j.at.0001-7051.099.2008. S2CID 31515108.
- ^ Chua, M.A.H.; Aziz, S.A. (2018). "Into the light: atypical diurnal foraging activity of Blyth's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus lepidus (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) on Tioman Island, Malaysia". Mammalia. 83: 78–83. doi:10.1515/mammalia-2017-0128.