Rhinolophus lepidus
Common name: Blyth’s Horseshoe Bat
The smallest Rhinolophus we catch at Krau -- Rhinolophus lepidus
Distribution of Rhinolophus lepidus
Physical Description
Nose: Like all horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus lepidus 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. Rhinolophus lepidus is easy to identify, because it’s the only small Rhinolophus in the reserve with a notched connecting process.
Side view of the face of Rhinolophus lepidus to show the distinctive notched connecting process
Fur: The fur on the back can vary from brown to a foxy reddish-brown. The underparts are paler. There is often a faint silvery sheen to the fur, making the bat look glossy.
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 lepidus is the smallest Rhinolophus that we catch in the reserve. The average forearm length is about 41 mm, and the average weight, 6.4 g.
Ecology
Rhinolophus lepidus is mainly found in lowland forests, although it is occasionally found at higher elevations. It roosts in large colonies in caves and in smaller groups in the crevices of boulders. It often roosts together with Rhinolophus stheno. In Krau Wildlife Reserve it can be very common at some of the study sites but then nearly absent at others. We think this may be due to the availability of cave roosts.
Where they are found
Afghanistan, North India, Myanmar, Thailand, Szechwan an Yunnan (China), Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra.
