Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Blasius's horseshoe bat
Species of bat From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
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.
Remove ads
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
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads