Rhinolophus ruwenzorii, Hill, 1942

Burgin, Connor, 2019, Rhinolophidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 280-332 : 300

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.3748525

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3808934

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/885887A2-FFDA-8A3C-FF0B-FC39FA82D65B

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Rhinolophus ruwenzorii
status

 

40 View On . Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ruwenzorii View in CoL

French: Rhinolophe du Rwenzori / German: Ruwenzori-Hufeisennase / Spanish: Herradura de Rwenzori

Taxonomy. Rhinolophus ruwenzorii Hill, 1942 View in CoL ,

south side of Butahu Valley, western slope of Mount Ruwenzori [ DR Congo], altitude 7,500 feet [= 2286 m].”

Rhinolophus ruwenzorii is in the maclaudi species group. It has been considered a subspecies of R hilli , but morphometric data clearly demonstrate their distinction as separate species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to Ruwenzori Mts (NE DR Congo and SW Uganda), Ituri Forest and Kivu (NE DR Congo), Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest National Park (SW Uganda), and Mutura district (NW Rwanda). View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 52-72 mm, tail 25-35 mm, ear 32-40 mm, hindfoot 11-7—14- 5 mm, forearm 55-61- 7 mm; weight 16-19- 5 g. Dorsal pelage is medium to dark smoky brown; venter is paler. There is no reported orange morph. Males lack axillary tufts. Ears are medium-long in length (57-66% of forearm length), with eight internal folds and very large antitragus. Noseleaf has subtriangular lancet, with bluntly pointed tip, and is taller than height of sella; connecting process is very reduced, low, and concave, leaving large depression between sella and lancet; sella is naked, upright, and about parallel to lancet, with concave sides and distinctly broadened and rounded spoon-shaped top; narial lobes at base of sella are very enlarged, nearly forming circular cup; nostrils are bordered by semicircular raised rims that are parallel to inner cup; and horseshoe is of medium width at 10-8—12- 6 mm, with lateral leaflets and conspicuous median emargination. Lower lip has conspicuous medial groove and two poorly developed lateral grooves that are occasionally lacking. Wings and uropatagium are dark gray. Skull is large but slender with weak zygomatic arches (zygomatic width is less than mastoid width); nasal swellings are high, with roughly circular chambers when viewed dorsally; frontal depression is very deep; sagittal crest is moderately developed anteriorly and poorly developed posteriorly, and interpterygoid groove is very deep. P2 is small and in tooth row or slightly displaced labially, separating C1 and P4; P3 is small and slightly to completely displaced labially; and distance between P2 and P4 is variable.

Habitat. Primarily submontane forests and marginally into lowland rainforests at elevations of 1066-2667 m. The Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bat is typically found in regions with montane evergreen/bamboo forests.

Food and Feeding. Stomach samples of five Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats contained large moths, including their chewed-up wings and legs suggesting they eat prey whole without taking off any body parts.

Breeding. Four female Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats that had recently stopped lactating were captured in late March along with two large juveniles. This indicated that some births occurred in early to mid-February.

Activity patterns. Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats are nocturnal. Day roosts are found in caves and abandoned mine shafts.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats roost singly or in small groups of up to ten individuals. They have been recorded sharing day roosts with Long-haired Fruit Bats ( Stenonycteris lanosus ), Geoffrey's Horseshoe Bats ( clivosus ), and Sundevall’s Leaf-nosed Bats (Hipposideros caffer) or Noack’s Leafnosed Bats, (H. ruber).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN ed List. The Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bat is threatened by habitat loss and degradation and possibly overharvesting for bushmeat.

Bibliography. ACR (2018), Baeten et al. (1984), Csorba et al. (2003), Fahr (2008b, 2013h), Fahr et al. (2002), Hayman et al. (1966), Kerbis Peterhans et al. (2013), Smith & Hood (1980).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Chiroptera

Family

Rhinolophidae

Genus

Rhinolophus

Loc

Rhinolophus ruwenzorii

Burgin, Connor 2019
2019
Loc

Rhinolophus ruwenzorii

Hill 1942
1942
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