Darling's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus darlingi'') is a species of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

in the family Rhinolophidae found in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. Its natural habitats are dry

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

, caves and other subterranean habitats.

Taxonomy

Darling's horseshoe bat was described as a new species in 1905 by Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. The

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

had been collected in the village of Mazowe in Zimbabwe by James ffolliott Darling, who is the

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

for its species name "''darlingi''".

Description

Darling's horseshoe bat is considered medium-sized for an African horseshoe bat, with a forearm length of and weights of . It has soft, fluffy fur. The coloration on its back is gray or grayish-brown, while its belly is pale gray. It has a low aspect ratio and very low wing loading, meaning that its flight speed is likely slow but highly maneuverable.

Range and habitat

Darling's horseshoe bat is widely distributed in southern Africa, where it has been documented in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It might also be found in Lesotho and Nigeria. It is mostly associated with

habitats. It roosts in caves, rocky outcrops, mines, and human structures.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1762534 Rhinolophidae Mammals described in 1905 Taxa named by Knud Andersen Bats of Africa Taxonomy articles created by Polbot