Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
Fig 4
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Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Rhinolophidae
Species : Rhinolophus morio
Forearm Length : up to
6.9 cm
Weight : up to 39 grams
Rhinolophus morio
(Great Woolly Horseshoe Bat, Malaysian Woolly Horseshoe Bat) is one of the largest known species of
Rhinolophus.
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.
It was formerly considered a subspecies of Rhinolophus luctus but is now treated as a distinct species after a detailed study (Volleth et al,
2015). It occurs in Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore
and northern Sumatra.
The first description of this bat was made in 1842, based on a specimen from
Singapore. It might still be surviving in Singapore, however the last documented
record in that country was more than two decades ago (Pottie et al, 2005).
In the latter publication constant-frequency (CF) echolocation calls of ~42 kHz were
described from a number of locales.
This species is a perch-hunter; it typically suspends itself from a twig
or small branch whilst waiting for insects, such as moths and beetles, to
fly past which can then be swiftly captured. A similar hunting mode is also used by some of its closest
relatives, including the Trefoil
Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus trifoliatus).
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 will 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 seen perch-hunting for insects at the edge of lowland
primary forest at Taiping, Perak,
Peninsular Malaysia.
Fig 2 : Habitat where the example in Figure 1 was photographed; the bat
was seen hawking for insects from a branch which extended over a narrow
road through mixed primary and secondary forest.
Fig 3 : The same bat consuming its insect prey - probably a moth of some
sort.
Fig 4 : Ultrasonic sonogram recorded at the same location; a constant
frequency (CF) call of 41.0 kHz was detected.
References :
Kingston, T., Lim B.L., Zubaid, A., 2006. Bats of Krau Wildlife
Reserve. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Phillipps Q. & Phillipps K. (2016).
Phillipps’ Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo and Their Ecology:
Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, and Kalimantan. Second Edition. John Beaufoy
Publishing. 400 pp.
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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