| Yaeyama little horseshoe bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Rhinolophidae |
| Genus: | Rhinolophus |
| Species: | R. perditus |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhinolophus perditus | |
| Synonyms | |
Rhinolophus cornutus perditus [3] | |
The Yaeyama little horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus perditus) is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae that is endemic to the Yaeyama Islands of Japan.
Rhinolophus perditus was first described by Knud Andersen in 1918, based on a female specimen in the Natural History Museum that had been purchased by Alan Owston (B.M. no. 5.11.3.15); the type locality is given as "Ishigaki, southern Liu-Kiu", and its relatively large teeth are noted. [2] : 376–7 Included in Mammal Species of the World (2005) as Rhinolophus cornutus perditus, [3] : 353 i.e., as a subspecies of the Japanese little horseshoe bat, the Yaeyama little horseshoe bat is now treated as an independent species by authorities including the IUCN [1] and the editors of Handbook of the Mammals of the World [4] and Wild Mammals of Japan (2015), published under the auspices of the Mammal Society of Japan. [5] The last two works also include Imaizumi's horseshoe bat (protonym, Rhinolophus imaizumii) as a subspecies of the Yaeyama little horseshoe bat, under the combination R. p. imaizumii. [4] [5] In its native Japan, the bat is known by the vernacular name Yaeyama kokikugashira-kōmori (ヤエヤマコキクガシラコウモリ). [5]
Two subspecies are "tentatively" recognized: [4]
The bat's external morphology resembles that of the Japanese little horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus cornutus) and Okinawa little horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus pumilus), differences including a larger nose-leaf and skull length, and shorter tibia than the Okinawa little horseshoe bat. [5] The constant frequency (CF) echolocation values of its calls are also lower than those of these other two species. [5]
The Yaeyama little horseshoe bat is nocturnal and, though active all year round, is believed to hibernate but with frequent awakening in order to forage . [5] It roosts in caves, often together with the Ryūkyū long-fingered bat (Miniopterus fuscus), as well as in abandoned mines, and old bomb shelters. [4] [5] The bat's diet consists of insects, in particular Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Coleoptera (beetles), Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants), and Diptera (flies), for which they forage mainly in areas of woodland. [5] Females are monoestrous and form "maternity colonies" of several hundred to over a thousand individuals in May. [5] They give birth to a single pup. [5]
The Yaeyama little horseshoe bat is classed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. [1] The principal threats are deforestation and habitat loss, destruction of their roosts, and disturbance by tourists. [5]
