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Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Rhinolophidae
Species : Rhinolophus luctus morio
Forearm Length : up to
6.9 cm
Weight : up to 39 grams
Rhinolophus luctus
(Great Woolly Horseshoe Bat) is the largest known species of horseshoe bat.
It
occurs in lowland primary forest and, under the right conditions, in
disturbed secondary forest. It roosts alone or in pairs in tree hollows or
rock shelters.
The subspecies Rhinolophus luctus morio occurs in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore
and northern Sumatra; some researchers consider R. l. morio (which
was first described from Singapore in 1842) to be a species
in its own right (Volleth et al, 2015).
In Singapore this bat was last documented in 2005 by Pottie et al;
distinctive constant-frequency (CF) echolocation calls of ~42 kHz were
detected at a number of locales.
This species is known to be a perch-hunter, sometimes lying in wait for flying
insects, such as moths and beetles, to fly by whilst suspended from a twig
or small branch. A similar hunting mode is also used by some of its closest
relatives, for example the Trefoil
Horseshoe Bat.
This bat can be identified in the field by its relatively large size in
comparison to other horseshoe bats, and its long, grey-brown to dark grey,
woolly fur (the tips of which are typically pale which gives a frosted
effect). Closer inspection may reveal a complex noseleaf that is dark in
colour, with 'lateral lappets' on each side of the sella (the structure in
the middle of the noseleaf).
Fig 1 : Example perched near a lowland forest
stream on the island of Tioman, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia; this bat was
probably perch-hunting and waiting for flying insects to come within
range. Photo thanks to Serin Subaraj.
Fig 2 : Close-up of the structures which comprise the noseleaf including,
in the centre, the connecting process and sella, and at the bottom the
distinctive, large horseshoe. Photo thanks to Serin Subaraj.
Fig 3 : Intact, lowland primary forest still exists on Tioman Island
inland from a zone of disturbed, coastal forest; this habitat supports a
great diversity of vertebrates, including around 20 species of bat (Lim et
al, 1999).
References : M6, M12
Lim, B. L., Lim, K. K. P., & Yong, H. S. (1999). The terrestrial mammals
of Pulau Tioman, Peninsular Malaysia, with a catalogue of specimens at the
Raffles Museum, National University of Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of
Zoology, Supplement No. 6, 101-123.
Pottie, S. A., Lane, D. J. W., Kingston, T., & Lee, B. P. Y-H. (2005). The
microchiropteran bat fauna of Singapore. Acta Chiropterologica, 7(2),
237-247.
Volleth, M., Loidl, J., Mayer, F., Yong, H. S., Müller, S., & Heller, K.
G. (2015). Surprising genetic diversity in Rhinolophus luctus
(Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from Peninsular Malaysia: description of a new
species based on genetic and morphological characters. Acta
Chiropterologica, 17(1), 1-20.
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