Rhinolophus affinis
Common name: The Intermediate Horseshoe Bat
Face of Rhinolophus affinis
Rhinolophus affinis has a broad distribution
Physical Description
Nose: Like all horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus affinis has a very distinctive noseleaf that extends to cover much of the face. The edges of the noseleaf are grayish-brown, but the inner parts appear slightly pink. The connecting process is rounded.
Side view of Rhinolophus affinis to show the rounded connecting process
Fur: The fur on the back and head is a lightish brown, sometimes with a bit of a reddish tinge to it, and the fur on the underside is a bit paler.
Ears: The ears are large and brown and like all Rhinolophus there is no tragus, but there is a very pronounced antitragus.
Wings: The wings are a dark brown, and are quite broad and rounded so that the bat is maneuverable enough to fly in the dense forest.
Tail: Like all Rhinolophus a small tail membrane stretches between the legs, but doesn’t go much beyond the ankle. The tail itself is fully enclosed by the membrane, with maybe just a mm or two of the tail poking out beyond the edge. At each ankle, there is a small rod of cartilage called a calcar, to which the tail membrane is attached, which helps the bat control the position of the membrane in flight.
Size: Rhinolophus affinis looks very like Rhinolophus stheno, except it’s a bit bigger. The average FA is 51 mm and the average weight is 14 g.
Ecology
This is mainly a forest species, found in both primary and secondary forest at all elevations. It roosts in large numbers in limestone caves.
Where they are found
India and Nepal to South China through Peninsular Malaysia to Borneo and the Lesser Sunda Islands, as well as the Andaman Islands of India.
