Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Description 3

The greater horseshoe bat is the largest horseshoe bat in Europe. It has a distinctive noseleaf, which has a pointed upper part and a horseshoe shaped lower part. Its horseshoe noseleaf helps to focus the ultrasound it uses to 'see'. The greater horseshoe bat also has tooth and bone structures that are distinct from that of other rhinolophids. Its first premolar on the upper jaw protrudes from the row of teeth. For other horseshoe bats, this premolar is very small or non-existent. Also in comparison to its relatives, the greater horseshoe bat has relatively short third and fourth metacarpal bones in its wings. It also lacks a tragus. The Greater Horseshoe Bat is, on average, between 57–71 millimetres (2.2–2.8 in) long, with a 35–43 mm tail (1.4–1.7 in) and a 350–400 mm wingspan (14–16 in). The fur of the species is soft and fluffy, with the base of hairs being light grey, the dorsal side hair grey brown and the ventral side grey-white, with juvenile bats having more of an ash-grey tint to their fur. Wing membranes and ears are light grey-brown. It weighs up to 30 grams (1.1 oz).

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Aleksandar, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Aleksandar
  2. (c) עומר וינר, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by עומר וינר
  3. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_horseshoe_bat

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