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Common Name: Horseshoe Bat

Scientific Name: Rhinolophus eloquens

 

Kingdom:  Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Chiroptera

Family: Rhinolophidae

Genus: Rhinolophus

Species: R. eloquens

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The Rhinolophus eloqens is known as a Horseshoe bat. The Horseshoe Bat that I am going to tell you about is a interesting animal that you would want to know about. But there are some things that you may not know about the Horseshoe Bat that I am going to tell you about.

 

The Horseshoe bat can have the size from 2.5 cm to 14 cm in head-body length, and 4 to 120  grams in weight. The Horseshoe bat can also have the wing span of 14 to 16 inches long. The Horseshoe bat is actually one of the world’s smallest species of bat, with an average body size of one-and-a-half to two inches with a wingspan of 8 to 10 inches. This Horseshoe bat can live up to 21 years old, and can have 130 bat species that are divided into 10 groups.  Also most Horseshoe bats can be the color dull brown or a reddish brown. Also what really stands out about the Horseshoe bat is that they all have a very broad, rounded wings and very fluttery flight patterns.

 

These Horseshoe bats can occur over a wide range of temperate to tropical woodland and can have an open  habitat where they catch  insects in mid flight and also glean insects and spiders from foliage while hovering their prey. It’s natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, and caves. Their roost habits are diverse; some species are found in large colonies in caves, some prefer hollow trees, and others sleep in the open, among  the branches of tree. The Horseshoe Bat can also be found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Kwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. All Horseshoe Bats  live in Europe, Africa, and Asia, south to northern and eastern Australia. Some members of northern populations may hibernate during winter.

 

Also the Horseshoe bat comprises approximately 69 distant species,. The Horseshoe bat is also realated  to the family Hipposideridae, that also include the family Rhinolophidae; however, it is now considered in a separate family.

 

In Conclusion, it was very interesting researching the Horseshoe bat. I am glad I learned about the Horseshoe bat because before I didn’t know anything about the Horseshoe bat. It is a very interesting animal. I hope you gained information about the Horseshoe bat as much as I did.

 

Author: Priscilla C.

Date Published: 2/2012

 

Photo Credit: 

 

 

 

 

 

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