Swinny's horseshoe bat

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Swinny's horseshoe bat
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Rhinolophidae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Species:
R. swinnyi
Binomial name
Rhinolophus swinnyi
Gough, 1908
Swinny's Horseshoe Bat area.png
Swinny's horseshoe bat range

Swinny's horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus swinnyi) is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. In English, R. swinnyi is commonly referred to as Swinny's horseshoe bat. In Afrikaans, it is commonly referred to as Swinny se saalneusvlermuis. [2] This species belongs to the African clade. R. swinnyi was discovered by an African collector H. H. Swinny. [3] They have been recorded in Angola, Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. [3] [2]

Contents

Taxonomy

R. swinnyi is in the same family as R. denti and R. simulator. These species have very similar body structure, size, morphology and echolocation calls. [2] [3] This led scientists to the conclusion that R. swinny was a subspecies of R. denti and R. simulator. [2] Genetic studies have shown that R. swinnyi is a separate, distinct species. [2]

Distribution

R. swinnyi is endemic to Africa. They have an extensive geographic distribution across the African continent. [4] [5] The surface area of their wings is comparatively larger resulting in decreased wing loading. [6] This leads to limited dispersal and restricted range between populations. [2] [7] [5] The bats live in small groups of 10 with less than 1,000 mature species in each colony. [8] The total population is predicted to be around 10,000. [2]

Biology

Description

R. swinnyi are a species of small bats with an average total length of 70 mm and an average weight of 7.6 g. [3] The most distinguishing characteristic of this family is their nasal region. This region has three parts, the lancet, the sella, and the nose leaf. [5] The nose-leaf is in the shape of a horseshoe and varies in size and shape. [5] The backside of their body is grey to brown and white at the bottom. The frontside is significantly lighter, pale brown to off-white. [3] They have short pointy ears, light brown to light grey wings and interfemoral membrane. [3] Their skull is a total length of 17.5 mm. The posterior premolar teeth are long located between the canines. [3] Their flight patterns are slow with high maneuverability. They have lower wing loading which increases their ability to lift and move quickly and easily. [6]

Habitat and behaviour

Swinny’s horseshoe bats are largely found in montane forest and savanna woodlands. They roost in wet, sheltered caves and have no preference for particular vegetation. [3] Like most nocturnal bats, R. swinnyi reside in dark areas of caves and old mining sites. They roost during broad daylight hanging from the ceiling, individually or in pairs dispersed throughout their sheltered area. Some species have been found in company with similar species such as R. simulator. [3] They use echolocation to navigate, forage for food in the dark and in mate choice. [4] They have an average echolocation frequency of 106.7 kHz. [5]

Many of their reproductive and chronology patterns are not known yet.

Diet

Swinny's horseshoe bats are an insectivorous species. Whitaker and Black studied the stomach contents of bats from the family Rhinolophidae and discovered that R. swinnyi fed almost exclusively on mature Lepidoptera. Other insects they feed on include termites, beetles, flies, and crickets. [9]

Threats and conservation

Swinny's horseshoe bats are threatened by agriculture, extraction of timber, firewood, degradation of forest habitats, and human settlement. [2] [8] The IUCN Red List categorizes the status of Rhinolophus swinnyi as least concern, meaning the current population trend is stable and there is no risk of the species going extinct. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horseshoe bat</span> Family of mammals

Horseshoe bats are bats in the family Rhinolophidae. In addition to the single living genus, Rhinolophus, which has about 106 species, the extinct genus Palaeonycteris has been recognized. Horseshoe bats are closely related to the Old World leaf-nosed bats, family Hipposideridae, which have sometimes been included in Rhinolophidae. The horseshoe bats are divided into six subgenera and many species groups. The most recent common ancestor of all horseshoe bats lived 34–40 million years ago, though it is unclear where the geographic roots of the family are, and attempts to determine its biogeography have been indecisive. Their taxonomy is complex, as genetic evidence shows the likely existence of many cryptic species, as well as species recognized as distinct that may have little genetic divergence from previously recognized taxa. They are found in the Old World, mostly in tropical or subtropical areas, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

The Damara woolly bat is a nocturnal insectivorous species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae found in Africa. This species typically has reddish brown fur on its back and white fur on its abdomen. Its natural habitat is moist savanna, although it has also been shown to inhabit woodlands and coastal forests. These bats typically weight about 10 g, and have a low aspect ratio, as well as low wing loading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halcyon horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

The halcyon horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, possibly Gabon, and possibly Sierra Leone. Its natural habitats are subtropical and tropical dry and moist lowland forest, moist savanna, caves, and other subterranean habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

The Cape horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is endemic to South Africa, and is potentially threatened by habitat loss and disturbance of its roosting sites, although it is present in large enough numbers to be considered of least concern by the IUCN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffroy's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Geoffroy's horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, caves and other subterranean habitats, and hot deserts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darling's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Darling's horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, caves and other subterranean habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dent's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Dent's horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The bat's natural habitats are dry savannah country and it roosts in caves and other subterranean habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eloquent horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

The eloquent horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, and caves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rüppell's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Rüppell's horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, savanna, caves and other subterranean habitats. This species is quite common in parts of its range, and no specific threats have been recognised, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maclaud's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Maclaud's horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is endemic to Guinea. Its natural habitats are moist savanna, caves and other subterranean habitats. It is one of five African microbat species to be listed as endangered by the IUCN. In 2013, Bat Conservation International listed this species as one of the 35 species of its worldwide priority list of conservation. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smaller horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

The smaller horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehely's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Mehely's horseshoe bat is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Rhinolophidae found in Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East. It is distributed in a narrow band around the Mediterranean Sea from North-Western Africa across Portugal, Spain, the Balearics, southern France, Sardinia, Sicily and the Balkan Peninsula to Asia Minor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bourret's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Bourret's horseshoe bat is a species of horseshoe bat native to Southeast Asia. The name "paradoxolophus" is derived from the Greek words paradoxos, meaning "contrary to expectation", and lophos, meaning "crest". This name refers to the bat's difference in nose-leaf morphology compared to other Rhinolophus species. There are no recognised subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bushveld horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

The Bushveld horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Botswana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are moist savanna, caves and other subterranean habitats.

Cohen's horseshoe bat is a species of bat belonging to the family Rhinolophidae, endemic to South Africa. It was first described in 2012. The species was named after Lientjie Cohen who collected the type specimen in 2004. It was first thought to be a Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat but has since been distinguished as a separate species by its unique echolocation frequencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smithers's horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

Smithers's horseshoe bat is a species of horseshoe bat found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was described as a new species in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mozambican horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

The Mozambican horseshoe bat is a species of horseshoe bat found in Africa.

The Mount Mabu horseshoe bat is a species of horseshoe bat that is endemic to the Southeast African nation of Mozambique.

The Yaeyama little horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae that is endemic to the Yaeyama Islands of Japan.

References

  1. ↑ Monadjem, A.; Cotterill, F.P.D. (2017). "Rhinolophus swinnyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T19572A21992092. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T19572A21992092.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jacobs, David; Schoeman, Corrie; Cohen, Lientjie; MacEwan, Kate; Monadjem, Ara; Richards, Leigh; Sethusa, Theresa; Taylor, Peter (2016). "Rhinolophus swinnyi – Swinny's Horseshoe Bat" (PDF). Endangered Wildlife Trust.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Skinner, John D.; Chimimba, Christian T. (2005). The Mammals of the Southern African Sub-region. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 343–346. ISBN   978-0521844185.
  4. 1 2 Mutumi, Gregory L.; Jacobs, David S.; Winker, Henning (2017). "The relative contribution of drift and selection to phenotypic divergence: A test case using the horseshoe bats Rhinolophus simulator and Rhinolophus swinnyi". Ecology and Evolution. 7 (12): 4299–4311. Bibcode:2017EcoEv...7.4299M. doi:10.1002/ece3.2966. PMC   5478076 . PMID   28649342.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Stoffberg, Samantha (2007). "Molecular Phylogenetics and the Evolution of High-Frequency Echologication in Horseshoe Bats (Genus Rhinolophus)". University of Cape Town.
  6. 1 2 Norberg, Ulla M.; Rayner, J. M. V. (1987). "Ecological morphology and flight in bats (Mammalia; Chiroptera): wing adaptations, flight performance, foraging strategy and echolocation". The Royal Society. 316 (1179): 335–427. Bibcode:1987RSPTB.316..335N. doi:10.1098/rstb.1987.0030 – via JSTOR.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Peter J.; Macdonald, Angus; Goodman, Steve M.; Kearney, Teresa; Cotterill, Fenton P. D.; Stoffberg, Sam; Monadjem, Ara; Schoeman, M. Corrie; Guyton, Jennifer; Naskrecki, Piotr; Richards, Leigh R. (March 7, 2018). "Integrative taxonomy resolves three new cryptic species of small southern African horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. XX: 1–28.
  8. 1 2 3 Monadjem, Ara; Cotterill, Fenton (2017). "Rhinolophus swinnyi, Swinny's Horseshoe Bat". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  9. ↑ Whitaker, John O.; Black, Hal (1976). "Food Habits of Cave Bats from Zambia, Africa". Journal of Mammalogy. 57 (1): 199–204. doi: 10.2307/1379533 . JSTOR   1379533.
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