Rhinolophus sedulus
Common name: The Lesser Woolly Horseshoe Bat
See if you can find the lateral lappets on the noseleaf of this Rhinolophus sedulus
Rhinolophus sedulus is only found in Borneo and the southern half of the Malay Peninsula
Physical Description
Nose: Like all horseshoe bats, Rhinolophus sedulus has a very distinctive noseleaf that extends to cover much of the face but only a few species have the two rounded bits, called lateral lappets that are either side of the sella, in the middle of the noseleaf just above the nostrils. The noseleaf is also a dark brown color and the connecting process is large and rounded.
Fur: The fur is long and fluffy and a dark brown.
Ears: The ears are large and dark brown. Like all Rhinolophus there is no tragus, but there is a very pronounced antitragus.
Wings: The wing membrane is a dark brown color, and the wings are broad and rounded, enabling Rhinolophus sedulusto maneuver through the forest with ease.
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: Because the fur is so long and fluffy Rhinolophus sedulus tends to look bigger than it actually is; the average forearm is about 40 mm, and average weight about 8 g.
Ecology
This is mainly a lowland primary rainforest species. It has been found roosting in caves, but radio-tracking studies at Krau Wildlife Reserve found it roosting singly, in pairs or very small groups in fallen tree hollows, and even in the earthy cavities formed at the base of a fallen tree. Occasionally individuals are found roosting alone low in the understorey.
Entrance to a Rhinolophus sedulus roost - a cavity in the soil formed when a large tree fell over
Inside the roost were three individuals. Look carefully to see the aerial from the radio-transmitter sticking up from the back of the bat on the left, which is also the only individual with a wingband
Rhinolophus sedulus is thought to hunt for insects by perching from leaves or small branches in the forest understorey. The bat sends out echolocation calls to scan the area beneath the perch, and when it detects the fluttering wings of an insect it will swoop out to catch it and then return to its perch to eat it.
Where they can be found
Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo
