Blasius's horseshoe bat
Blasius's horseshoe bat | |
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Conservation status | |
![]() Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Rhinolophidae |
Genus: | Rhinolophus |
Species: | R. blasii |
Binomial name | |
Rhinolophus blasii Peters, 1866 | |
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Blasius's horseshoe bat range |
Blasius's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus blasii) is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Rhinolophidae found throughout large parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa.
Taxonomy
Blasius's horseshoe bat was described as a new species in 1866 by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters. The holotype had been collected in Italy.[2] The eponym for the species name "blasii" was German zoologist Johann Heinrich Blasius.[3]
Description
Individuals have forearm lengths of 43–48 mm (1.7–1.9 in) and weigh 7–13 g (0.25–0.46 oz), making it small for an African horseshoe bat.[2]
Biology and ecology
Blasius's horseshoe bat is insectivorous, consuming moths, termites, beetles, and flies, among other kinds. It hunts for its prey by hawking, or catching insects on the wing, or gleaning, which means plucking insects off foliage or the ground. Its social behaviors are poorly understood, but it will roost singly or in small groups. Group foraging consisting of up to five individuals has been reported in Malawi. They have one annual breeding season, and females give birth to a single young.[2]
Range and habitat
Blasius's horseshoe bat has been documented at a range of elevations from 0–2,215 m (0–7,267 ft) above sea level. It has a large geographic range, though its populations are patchily distributed. Its range includes Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is extinct in Italy, and possibly extinct in Slovenia. Its habitat includes deserts, savannas, shrublands, and forests.[1]
References
- ^ a b Taylor, P. (2016). "Rhinolophus blasii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19515A21972073. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T19515A21972073.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Happold, M. (2013). Kingdon, J.; Happold, D.; Butynski, T.; Hoffmann, M.; Happold, M.; Kalina, J. (eds.). Mammals of Africa. Vol. 4. A&C Black. pp. 312–313. ISBN 9781408189962.
- ^ Peters, W. (1866). "Über einige neue oder weniger bekannte Flederthiere" [About some new or lesser known bats]. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussische Akademie des Wissenschaften zu Berlin (in German). 1866: 17.
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- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Infraclass: Eutheria
- Superorder: Laurasiatheria
- Order: Chiroptera
- Acuminate horseshoe bat (R. acuminatus)
- Adam's horseshoe bat (R. adami)
- Intermediate horseshoe bat (R. affinis)
- Halcyon horseshoe bat (R. alcyone)
- Arcuate horseshoe bat (R. arcuatus)
- Lesser woolly horseshoe bat (R. beddomei)
- R. belligerator
- Blasius's horseshoe bat (R. blasii)
- Bokhara horseshoe bat (R. bocharicus)
- Bornean horseshoe bat (R. borneensis)
- Canut's horseshoe bat(R. canuti)
- Cohen's horseshoe bat (R. cohenae)
- Cape horseshoe bat (R. capensis)
- Sulawesi horseshoe bat (R. celebensis)
- Chiewkwee's horseshoe bat (R. chiewkweeae)
- Geoffroy's horseshoe bat (R. clivosus)
- Croslet horseshoe bat (R. coelophyllus)
- Andaman horseshoe bat (R. cognatus)
- Convex horseshoe bat (R. convexus)
- Little Japanese horseshoe bat (R. cornutus)
- Creagh's horseshoe bat (R. creaghi)
- Darling's horseshoe bat (R. darlingi)
- Decken's horseshoe bat (R. deckenii)
- Dent's horseshoe bat (R. denti)
- Eloquent horseshoe bat (R. eloquens)
- Mediterranean horseshoe bat (R. euryale)
- Broad-eared horseshoe bat (R. euryotis)
- Greater horseshoe bat (R. ferrumequinum)
- Formosan woolly horseshoe bat (R. formosae)
- Rüppell's horseshoe bat (R. fumigatus)
- Guinean horseshoe bat (R. guineensis)
- Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat (R. hildebrandti)
- R. hilli
- R. hillorum
- Lesser horseshoe bat (R. hipposideros)
- R. huananus
- Imaizumi's horseshoe bat (R. imaizumii)
- R. indorouxii
- Philippine forest horseshoe bat (R. inops)
- Insular horseshoe bat (R. keyensis)
- Lander's horseshoe bat (R. landeri)
- Blyth's horseshoe bat (R. lepidus)
- Woolly horseshoe bat (R. luctus)
- Mount Mabu horseshoe bat (R. mabuensis)
- Maclaud's horseshoe bat (R. maclaudi)
- Big-eared horseshoe bat (R. macrotis)
- Madura horseshoe bat (R. madurensis)
- Maendeleo horseshoe bat (R. maendeleo)
- Malayan horseshoe bat (R. malayanus)
- Marshall's horseshoe bat (R. marshalli)
- R. mcintyrei
- Smaller horseshoe bat (R. megaphyllus)
- Mehely's horseshoe bat (R. mehelyi)
- R. microglobosus
- Mitred horseshoe bat (R. mitratus)
- Formosan lesser horseshoe bat (R. monoceros)
- Timorese horseshoe bat (R. montanus)
- Mozambican horseshoe bat (R. mossambicus)
- Neriad horseshoe bat (R. nereis)
- Osgood's horseshoe bat (R. osgoodi)
- Bourret's horseshoe bat (R. paradoxolophus)
- Pearson's horseshoe bat (R. pearsonii)
- Large-eared horseshoe bat (R. philippinensis)
- R. proconsulis
- Least horseshoe bat (R. pusillus)
- King horseshoe bat (R. rex)
- Peninsular horseshoe bat (R. robinsoni)
- Rufous horseshoe bat (R. rouxii)
- Large rufous horseshoe bat (R. rufus)
- Ruwenzori horseshoe bat (R. ruwenzorii)
- Sakeji horseshoe bat (R. sakejiensis)
- Lesser woolly horseshoe bat (R. sedulus)
- Shamel's horseshoe bat (R. shameli)
- Shortridge's horseshoe bat (R. shortridgei)
- Thai horseshoe bat (R. siamensis)
- Forest horseshoe bat (R. silvestris)
- Bushveld horseshoe bat (R. simulator)
- Chinese rufous horseshoe bat (R. sinicus)
- Smithers's horseshoe bat (R. smithersi)
- Lesser brown horseshoe bat (R. stheno)
- Little Nepalese horseshoe bat (R. subbadius)
- Small rufous horseshoe bat (R. subrufus)
- Swinny's horseshoe bat (R. swinnyi)
- R. tatar
- R. thailandensis
- Thomas's horseshoe bat (R. thomasi)
- Trefoil horseshoe bat (R. trifoliatus)
- Yellow-faced horseshoe bat (R. virgo)
- R. xinanzhongguoensis
- Dobson's horseshoe bat (R. yunanensis)
- Ziama horseshoe bat (R. ziama)