Mozambican horseshoe bat

The Mozambican horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus mossambicus) is a species of horseshoe bat found in Africa.

Mozambican horseshoe bat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Rhinolophidae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Species:
R. mossambicus
Binomial name
Rhinolophus mossambicus
Taylor, Stoffberg, Monadjem, Schoeman, Bayliss & Cotterill, 2012

Taxonomy

It was described as a new species in 2012. The holotype had been collected by A. Monadjem in July 2006 at Niassa Reserve in Mozambique. It was segregated from the Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat (R. hildebrandtii) species complex at the same time as the Smithers's horseshoe bat, Cohen's horseshoe bat, and Rhinolophus mabuensis. Its species name "mossambicus" refers to the country of Mozambique.[2]

Description

Its forearm length is 60–65 mm (2.4–2.6 in). It echolocates at a peak frequency of 35-38 kHz.[2]

Range and habitat

Its range includes the African countries of Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It has been documented at a range of elevations from 60–1,000 m (200–3,280 ft) above sea level.[1] It is associated with savanna habitats.[2]

Conservation

As of 2017, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this assessment because it has a relatively large geographic range, and it is unlikely to be experiencing rapid population decline. Its population trend is, however, projected as decreasing due to threats such as hunting for bushmeat, as well as roost disturbance due to guano mining.[1]

References
  1. Shoeman, C. (2017). "Rhinolophus mossambicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T64589126A64589338. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T64589126A64589338.en.
  2. Cotterill, Fenton P. D.; Bayliss, Julian; Schoeman, Martinus Corrie; Monadjem, Ara; Stoffberg, Samantha; Taylor, Peter J. (2012-09-12). "Four New Bat Species (Rhinolophus hildebrandtii Complex) Reflect Plio-Pleistocene Divergence of Dwarfs and Giants across an Afromontane Archipelago". PLOS One. 7 (9): e41744. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...741744T. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0041744. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3440430. PMID 22984399.
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