Rhinolophus andamanensis, Dobson, 1872

Burgin, Connor, 2019, Rhinolophidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 280-332 : 321

87 . Homfray’s Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus andamanensis

French: Rhinolophe de Homfray I German: Andamanen-Hufeisennase / Spanish: Herradura de Homfray

Other common names: Andaman Intermediate Horseshoe Bat

Taxonomy. Rhinolophus affinis andamanensis Dobson, 1872 , “ Andaman Islands ,” India .

Rhinolophus andamanensis is included in the euryotis species group and is sister to R affinis . It was only recently recognized as a species distinct from R affinis by. Srinivasulu and coworkers in 2019, based on genetic, morphometric, and acoustic data. Monotypic.

Distribution. Andaman Is (North Andaman, Interview, Middle Andaman, Baratang, South Andaman, and Little Andaman).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 58- 2 mm (average), tail 17- 9—31 mm, ear 18-1-23- 9 mm, hindfoot 9-7—14- 7 mm, forearm 46-7—56- 6 mm. Dorsal pelage is brown to bright orange, with ventral pelage very similar. Ears are small. Noseleaf has parallel-sided lancet with pointed tip; connecting process is rounded and sparsely haired; sella is slightly concave and pandurate in shape; horseshoe is relatively broad and covers muzzle, with well-defined median emargination, and distinct lateral leaflets. Lower lip has three mental grooves. Baculum is 2—3 mm long, has deeply notched ventral margin of basal cone but is less notched on dorsal margin; it has smaller notches on lateral sides; shaft is roughly circular in cross section and bends downward toward tip. Skull is robust; sagittal crest is well developed; interorbital region is broad; anterior median swellings are comparatively less inflated; posterior swellings are well defined; zygomatic arches are robust; canines are robust. P2 is small and within tooth row; P3 is small and extruded from tooth row, allowing P2 and P4 to touch.

Habitat. Forested habitats across the islands.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Homfray’s Horseshoe Bat roosts in limestone caves, forest caves, and sometimes holes and tree hollows. Calls have a FM/CF/FM shape with a peak F recorded at 56-4-58-5 kHz (mean 57-6 kHz).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Homfray’s Horseshoe Bat roosts in large colonies and has been observed roosting with Andaman Horseshoe Bats (. cognatus ), Diadem Leaf-nosed Bats (Hipposideros diadema), Andersen’s Leaf-nosed Bats (H. gentilis), Grand Leaf-nosed Bats (H. grandis), and Horsfield’s Myotis ( Myotis horsfieldii ).

Status and Conservation. Not assessed as a separate species on The IUCN ed List, where it is included under the Intermediate Horseshoe Bat ( R. affinis ) as Least Concern. Homfray’s Horseshoe Bat has a restricted range, but appears to be relatively common throughout the Andaman Islands. Further studies into the species’ ecology and potential threats are needed.

Bibliography. Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu, Gopi et al. (2017), Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu & Jones (2019).

Figures

On following pages: 78. New Guinea Broad-eared Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus euryotis); 79. Sulawesi Broad-eared Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus tatah; 80. Poso Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus belligerator); 81. Bornean Woolly Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus proconsulis); 82. Arcuate Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus arcuatus); 83. Philippine Forest Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus inops); 84. Small Rufous Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus subrufus); 85. Large Rufous Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus rufus); 86. Intermediate Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus affinis); 87. Homfray's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus andamanensis); 88. Croslet Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus coelophyllus); 89. Shamel's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus shameli); 90. Vietnamese Brown Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus microglobosus); 91. Lesser Brown Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus stheno).

Distribution. Andaman Is (North Andaman, Interview, Middle Andaman, Baratang, South Andaman, and Little Andaman).