Smithers's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus smithersi'') is a species of

horseshoe bat Horseshoe bats are bats in the family Rhinolophidae. In addition to the single living genus, ''Rhinolophus'', which has about 106 species, the extinct genus '' Palaeonycteris'' has been recognized. Horseshoe bats are closely related to the Old ...

found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was described as a new species in 2012.

Taxonomy and etymology

Smithers's horseshoe bat was described as a new species in 2012. It was described as a result of a taxonomic split in the Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat (''R. hildebrandtii''). 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 sever ...

—an adult female—was collected in October 2000 in the Gokwe region of

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

. Its

species name In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

"''smithersi''" was chosen to honor Reay Henry Noble Smithers, former Director of the National Museums of Zimbabwe.

Description

This species can be differentiated from sympatric members of its genus by its high echolocation frequencies, small cranium, and wide

nose-leaf A nose-leaf, or leaf nose, is an often large, lance-shaped nose, found in bats Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals ...

. Its mean echolocation frequency is 40–46 k Hz. The forearm length of the holotype is . Its nose-leaf is wide. The sella has long hairs and narrows at its tip. The lancet is relatively long and straight. The fur of its back is grayish-brown, with individual hairs long. Its ventral surface is paler than its back.

Range and habitat

This species is known from one individual in Zimbabwe and 19 sites in South Africa. During the day, it roosts in natural or man-made underground cavities.

Conservation

It is currently evaluated as

near threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify f ...

by the IUCN. Its population size is thought to be small, perhaps fewer than 1,000 individuals. The population in South Africa occurs in two

biosphere reserves Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. MAB's work engag ...

Vhembe Biosphere Reserve Vhembe is one of the 5 Districts of South Africa, districts of Limpopo province of South Africa. It is the northernmost district of the country and shares its northern border with Beitbridge district in Zimbabwe and on the east with Gaza Province ...

and Waterberg Biosphere Reserve.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3934096 Mammals described in 2012 Bats of Africa Rhinolophidae