Willard's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus willardi'') is a newly described 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. It is endemic to a small area in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. It is listed as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

by the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

Taxonomy

The holotype was captured near a stream in a deep valley. The surrounding forest is dense and composed of tall trees about 40–50 m tall and had an open understory. It is part of the ''Rhinolophus maclaudi'' species group. The species epithet honours Dr. David Willard for his contribution to bat conservation.

Habitat and distribution

The species has only been recorded from two capture sites in the Misotschi-Kabogo highlands in the

South Kivu South Kivu (''Jimbo la Kivu Kusini'' in Swahili), (french: Sud-Kivu) is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu. History South Kivu Province was created from Sud-Kivu District in 1989, when the exis ...

province off the shore of

Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika () is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. ...

in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The specimens were captured at elevations of 1,880 m and 1,950 m in montane forest. It probably roosts in caves and mines.

Conservation

The species is very poorly documented and no information exists on its population. However, the area it has been recorded in is unstable due to regional conflict and is affected by unregulated forest clearing, habitat degradation, and roost disturbance. The species is also probably affected by hunting of roosting bats, which is a common regional practice in its range.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15918670 Rhinolophidae Mammals described in 2013 Bats of Africa Endemic fauna of the Democratic Republic of the Congo