Bourret's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus paradoxolophus'') is a species of horseshoe bat native to Southeast Asia. The name "''paradoxolophus''" is derived from the Greek words ''paradoxos'', meaning "contrary to expectation", and ''lophos'', meaning "crest". This name refers to the bat's difference in nose-leaf morphology compared to other ''Rhinolophus'' species. There are no recognised subspecies.

Description

Bourret's horseshoe bat is of similar size to many other horseshoe bats, being on average in total length, and weighing about . The fur is brown in colour, varying from almost black to a lighter, cinnamon, shade, and is paler on the animal's underside. Distinguishing features of the bat include a long, narrow, skull, unusually large ears, and a uniquely shaped nose-leaf. Apart from the nose-leaf, they most closely resemble the king horseshoe bat, but are smaller, with a longer, narrower

antitragus The antitragus is a feature of mammalian ear anatomy. In humans, it is a small tubercle on the visible part of the ear, the pinna. The antitragus is located just above the earlobe and points anteriorly. It is separated from the tragus by the in ...

. Bourret's horseshoe bat is a unique example of extreme nose-leaf morphology among the Rhinolophidae. The nose-leaf consists of a very wide anterior part divided into two long forward-facing lobes, and a relatively low, rounded, posterior part. The region between the nostrils is greatly expanded, forming a large cup-like structure covering small pockets behind each nostril, and with a large tongue-shaped protrusion.

Distribution and habitat

Bourret's horseshoe bat is native to northern

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, southwest

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, central

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, and northern and central

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

. They inhabit lowland forests, ranging from

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

s to dry pine forest, but always in close association with

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

caves.

Biology

The echolocation calls of Bourret's horseshoe bat last 40 to 50 milliseconds. They are unusually low in frequency, with the main component at 43 kHz, followed by a final drop to 37 kHz. According to one study, the need to produce such low calls explains the unusual shape of the nose-leaf. They roost in limestone caves, and, at least in China, enter

torpor Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the time ...

during the winter. They give birth to a single young, with pregnant females being reported from Vietnam in May.

Identity of the species

There is disagreement about whether ''R. paradoxolophus'' should be considered a separate species. In a 2009 study it was proposed that there are insufficient morphological differences between Bourret's horseshoe bat and the king horseshoe bat to justify them being considered separate species. When measuring the forearm length of the two species, the study claims there is only a difference, and that the calling frequencies are very similar. The only substantial difference is the nose-leaf morphology, which, according to this study, has little to no effect on call frequency. The two species may therefore be best recognised as

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of ''Rhinolophus rex''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1762098 Rhinolophidae Mammals described in 1951 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot