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Fig 8
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Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Rhinolophidae
Species : Rhinolophus refulgens
Forearm Length : up to 4.1 cm
The Glossy Horseshoe Bat,
roosts in caves, boulder crevices, and man-made structures such as tunnels
and drain culverts. The relative abundance of this species in original
lowland forest can be highly variable (Kingston et al, 2006). For example,
in Singapore this species is very common in primary and mature secondary
forest, yet in parts of southern Peninsular Malaysia it can be locally rare
in such habitats.
This is a small bat
with two colour phases - one reddish-brown, the other grey. In all
forms the fur is quite glossy, and the underparts are pale.
The noseleaf is elaborate and comprises a typically shaped anterior
horseshoe structure, a pointed and bifurcated 'connecting process' above the sella, and a high, pointed
lancet.
On the island of Tioman, which lies off the east coast of Peninsular
Malaysia in the South China Sea, this bat is regularly active by day. It is
postulated that the reduced number of diurnal avian predators on the island
has allowed the species to take advantage of daytime insect prey (Chua &
Aziz, 2018, as Rhinolophus lepidus).
Rhinolophus refulgens is currently treated as a separate species to
Rhinolophus lepidus (Blyth's Horseshoe Bat) (Soisook et al, 2016).
Rhinolophus lepidus
occurs in the Indian Subcontinent, southern China and Indochina. Rhinolophus refulgens has a complimentary
geographical range from southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore
to Sumatra.
Fig 1 : This day-flying example, from Penang
Island, Peninsular Malaysia, was feeding upon abundant fruit flies which
were themselves attracted to the empty husks of durian fruits.
Figs 2 and 3 : Patrolling the forest searching for flying insects, in
Singapore.
Figs 4 and 5 : Typical roost amongst granite
boulders, in a steep, wooded valley.
Figs 6 and 7 : A reddish-brown and a greyish example, both from
Singapore.
Fig 8 : Hovering briefly at the entrance to a road culvert.
References :
Chua, M. A. & Aziz, S.
A. 2018. Into the light: atypical diurnal foraging activity of Blyth’s
horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus lepidus (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) on
Tioman Island, Malaysia. Mammalia.
Lekagul, B., McNeely, J., 1977. Mammals of Thailand. Association for the
Conservation of Wildlife, Thailand. 758 pp.
Soisook, P., Karapan, S., Srikrachang, M., Dejtaradol, A., Nualcharoen, K.,
Bumrungsri, S., ... & Bogdanowicz, W. (2016). Hill forest dweller: a new
cryptic species of Rhinolophus in the 'pusillus group' (Chiroptera:
Rhinolophidae) from Thailand and Lao PDR. Acta Chiropterologica, 18(1),
117-139.
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