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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

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Observations: A captured juvenile female was 7.5 years old (Young 2001). Considering the longevity of similar species, however, maximum longevity could be much longer and is thus classified as unknown.
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Trophic Strategy

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Smaller horseshoe bats are insectivores. They eat moths, other flying insects, and spiders. The prey they prefer are moths, specifically Speiredonia spectans and Speiredonia mutabilis. They obtain food primarily while flying. Their flight patterns are characterized by slow, fluttering flight around dense foliage. The echolocation calls of smaller horseshoe bats occur at frequencies that permit distinguishing between flying prey and the surrounding foliage. Smaller horseshoe bats stay primarily in wooded areas. They do not forage over grasslands. Individuals also capture prey by flying out from a stationary perch to catch passing prey.

Animal Foods: insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore , Eats non-insect arthropods)

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Associations

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There are no specific reports of predation on smaller horseshoe bats. In general, bats are preyed on by owls and other raptors in flight and by arboreal predators in their cave roosts.

Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Morphology

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Individuals have gray brown fur, with the abdominal fur being lighter than the rest. The lower portion of the nose is shaped like a horseshoe and there is a pointed nasal appendage on above the nose. There is a rufous form of smaller horseshoe bats that occurs in Queensland, Australia. These individuals tend to have more grey fur, as opposed to the standard brown. They are unique from the rest due to their fur, which changes color with age and sex.

Range mass: 7 to 10.5 g.

Average mass: 7.5 g.

Range length: 6.6 to 8.1 cm.

Average length: 7 cm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes colored or patterned differently

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Life Expectancy

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There is no information on the longevity of smaller horseshoe bats.

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Habitat

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Smaller horseshoe bats are found in temperate and tropical rainforests, deciduous forest, sclerophyll forest, woodlands, coastal scrub, and grasslands. They roost in caves, mines, rock outcrops, and non-occupied buildings. Smaller horseshoe bats can be seen forming colonies in abandoned bunkers. During the breeding season colonies are usually small, having less than twenty bats. However, outside of the breeding season, colonies consist of two thousand individuals. Those bats that occupy temperate regions become torpid during winter months and form single roosts. Tropical areas are occupied year round the bats remain active.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

Other Habitat Features: suburban ; caves

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Distribution

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Rhinolophus megaphyllus (smaller horseshoe bat or eastern horseshoe bat) is found in a large part of the Oriental biogeographic region and the eastern Australian region. Its distribution is throughout Thailand, Malaysia, Moluccas, New Guinea, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and the east coast of Australia. Accounts suggest that smaller horseshoe bats are found in the eastern portion of New Guinea.

Biogeographic Regions: oriental (Native ); australian (Native )

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Associations

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Smaller horseshoe bats are important predators of insects in their native ecosystems.

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Benefits

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Smaller horseshoe bats are important member of native ecosystems. Their predation on flying insects can impact agricultural pest populations, providing a benefit to farmers.

Positive Impacts: controls pest population

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Benefits

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There are no known adverse effects of Rhinolophus megaphyllus on humans

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Conservation Status

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The status of Rhinolophus megaphyllus on IUCN Red List is lowest risk, least concern. This species was not listed under any appendices of CITES.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Behavior

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Members of Rhinolophus megaphyllus navigate and find food through the use of echolocation. They use constant frequency calls of 67 to 71 kHz. Individuals communicate through audible vocalizations and chemical cues. These bats also have keen vision.

Communication Channels: acoustic ; chemical

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; ultrasound ; echolocation ; chemical

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Untitled

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In most reference books these bats are referred to as eastern horseshoe bats.

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Stephen Frost, University of Oregon
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Reproduction

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One account of copulation places the incident during midday, in a cave; both individuals were hanging upside down by their toes. Smaller horseshoe bats are thought to be a polygynous species.

Mating System: polygynous

Males produce sperm starting, approximately, in February and continuing through March. In the latter part of June copulation, ovulation, and fertilization occur. Gestation has a duration of approximately four months. Births occur from late October through November. The offspring are nursed for two months. During pregnancy females form maternity colonies that may have as few as fifteen individuals or as many as two thousand. This formation occurs during the spring and summer seasons, with choice roosting being in humid caves. The conditions of the cave are thought to increase the metabolic rate of individuals and ensure quick development of young. Maternity colonies created by females are distinct from winter roosts. There may only be a few males present, whereas the winter roosts are inhabited by males continuously. Males reach sexual maturity in the second to third year of life; females reach sexual maturity in their third year of life, sometimes the latter part of their second.

Breeding interval: Smaller horseshoe bats give birth once yearly.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs from February to March.

Average number of offspring: 1.

Average gestation period: 4 months.

Range weaning age: 6 (low) weeks.

Average weaning age: 8 weeks.

Range time to independence: 5 to 6.5 weeks.

Average time to independence: 5 weeks.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 to 3 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 3 years.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 to 2.5 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous ; sperm-storing

Like other bat species, smaller horseshoe bat females care for their young until they can fly and find food on their own. Females invest heavily in young during gestation and lactation and young are adult sized within a few months of birth.

Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

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DiMeglio, M. 2008. "Rhinolophus megaphyllus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rhinolophus_megaphyllus.html
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Maya DiMeglio, University of Oregon
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Smaller horseshoe bat

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The smaller horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus megaphyllus) is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Taxonomy

A species was first described by John Edward Gray in 1834, using a specimen provided by George Bennett that had been collected in a cave near the Murrimbidgee River.[2]

Noted as the megaphyllus-species group, subsuming earlier taxa ranked as species and separating other these previously allied to the species complex. Five subspecies were recognised by Mammal Species of the World (Simmons, 2005)[3]

  • Rhinolophus megaphyllus J. E. Gray 1834
  • Rhinolophus megaphyllus megaphyllus
  • Rhinolophus megaphyllus fallax K. Andersen, 1906[4]
  • Rhinolophus megaphyllus ignifer Allen, 1933
  • Rhinolophus megaphyllus monachus K. Andersen, 1905
  • Rhinolophus megaphyllus vandeuseni Koopman, 1982

The common names assigned to the species include the smaller and eastern horseshoe bat.[3][5]

Description

Rhinolophus megaphyllus is a small rhinolophid bat that has a combined head and body length of 44–53 millimetres, with a measurement of the forearm an approximately equal length at 44–52 mm. The mass is in a range of 7 to 13 grams. They have simple and large ears, measuring 12–21 millimetres from the base to a finely pointed tip. The eyes are tiny and the snout is adorned with a distinctively shaped nose-leaf. The fur colour is darker above, usually a shade of grey brown that is paler at the ventral side; the species is recorded in Queensland with rufous to orange coloration across the pelage.

A species of Rhinolophus, a genus characterised by the horseshoe shape of the fleshy nose-leaf structure used for echolocation. R. megaphyllus is readily distinguished by their pink nose-leaf, with ridging at the upper facing parts that align to a triangular point. Another structure emerges at the mid-point of the leaf, above the horseshoe-like protuberance at the lower part. The overall pinkish shade of the nose-leaf is edged with grey and the form is relatively simple. Although suspected to the be two different taxa, the nose-leaf and other exterior characteristics are indistinguishable between the north and southern forms.[5]

Another species of the genus occurs at the east of the Cape York peninsula, the large-eared horseshoe bat Rhinolophus philippinensis has an ear length greater than 25 millimetres, a larger wingspan with forearm measurement greater than 50 mm, and a nose-leaf that is more elaborate in form.[5] The ultrasonic signals emitted by the species are easily distinguishable from other bats in the southern part of the range, but geographic variation has not been determined; acoustic surveys in New Guinea are unable to distinguish the species from the similar call of Rhinolophus arcuatus.[1]

Behaviour

They have a fluttery motion in flight as the wing shape allows them to make slow and agile manoeuvres while foraging within the forest. Insects are gleaned close to surfaces at all levels of the forest canopy, their insect prey is most often caught while in flight.[5][6] The foraging behaviour is consistent across the Australian range, with waiting at a perch or gleaning insects not in flight being infrequently recorded. The diet is highly variable and selective, mostly consisting of Lepidoptera and Coeloptera species, but not consistent with seasonal targeting of taxa at any given location.[6]

Rather than clinging to walls while at their roost, R. megaphyllus hang from the ceiling of caves. The individuals roost apart from their neighbours and may cloak their body with the wings.[5]

Distribution and habitat

The distribution range of Rhinolophus megaphyllus, in taxonomic revisions separating other populations, has come to be regarded as geographically isolated to the eastern parts of Australia and New Guinea. They are found at altitudes up to 1600 metres asl.[1] The species is common in suitable habitat in Eastern Australia, from the tropical regions of Cape York peninsula along the east coast and inland to the Great Dividing Range as far south as the more temperate climate of Victoria.[5]

The range of R. megaphyllus extended westward in Victoria during the twentieth century, aided by colonisation of abandoned mine adits,[1] and local populations are dependent on the availability of suitable daytime refuge and maternity roosts. Caves and similar sites that provide adequate warmth and high humidity are preferred and may be inhabited by groups numbering up to two thousand, however, the colony size is more often between five and fifty bats. Separate maternity sites are occupied for the birth and rearing of young, beginning in September or October and departing to rejoin males for mating in March or April.[5]

Conservation

The IUCN Red List has assessed the conservation status of R. megaphyllus as least concern, as occurring in protected areas and occupying abandoned mine shafts, and lack of evidence in any significant decline; the trajectory of the population is however unknown.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Armstrong, K.N.; Aplin, K. (2017). "Rhinolophus megaphyllus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T19553A21993377. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T19553A21993377.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Gray, J.E. (1834). "Characters of a New Species of Bat from New Holland, collected by G. Bennet". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Academic Press, [etc.] 1834: 52–53.
  3. ^ a b Simmons, N.B. (2005). "Order Chiroptera". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 312–529. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ Andersen, K. (1906). On some new or little-known bats of the genus Rhinolophus in the collection of the Museo Civico, Genoa.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Menkhorst, P.W.; Knight, F. (2011). A field guide to the mammals of Australia (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 146. ISBN 9780195573954.
  6. ^ a b Burwell, C.J.; Pavey, C.R. (2004). "Foraging ecology of the horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus megaphyllus (Rhinolophidae), in eastern Australia". Wildlife Research. 31 (4): 403–413. doi:10.1071/wr03106. ISSN 1448-5494.
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Smaller horseshoe bat: Brief Summary

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The smaller horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus megaphyllus) is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

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