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Text and photos by Nick Baker, unless otherwise stated

 EcologyAsia 2008
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Trefoil Horseshoe Bat
   

Adult and large juvenile photographed in Central Catchment Forest, Singapore.

Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Rhinolophidae
Species : Rhinolophus trifoliatus

Forearm Length : up to 5.2cm
Weight : up to 18 grams

References : M1, M2

Photos thanks to : Tony O'Dempsey

The Trefoil Horseshoe Bat is a small to medium-sized member of the Horseshoe Bat family or Rhinolophidae, which includes over 30 species in Southeast Asia. These bats are masters of echolocation, swooping down on moths and other insects in the understorey of Primary Forest.

   
 
 

 

   

The complicated noseleaf, used for detecting echoes bouncing from its prey, and distinctive ears of this species are yellow. The fur is thick and woolly and can vary from buff to grey, as shown by these photos of an adult and juvenile.

The species ranges from India, Burma, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to Java, Sumatra and Borneo.