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Robinson's Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus robinsoni
NT · Near threatened Chiroptera Rhinolophidae
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociability
Colonial

Description

A horseshoe bat so rarely recorded in Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand that attempts to catch it in altered areas of its former distribution have repeatedly failed, even where it was previously known to live.

How to identify it

Medium-sized, with the characteristic noseleaf of the genus; little is known of its ecology, and distinguishing it from other Rhinolophus species in the region requires in-hand examination.

Habitat and range

Forest in Malaysia and Thailand; extirpated from its original locality in Surat Thani province, although populations survive in some protected areas of both countries.

Diet

Insectivorous; hunts using constant-frequency echolocation typical of the genus.

Behaviour

Rare species, with very few individuals caught even with targeted sampling effort; roosts in caves.

Conservation

Considered Near Threatened due to its strong dependence on forest and extensive habitat degradation across most of its range.

Threats

Degradation and loss of forest habitat.

Other accounts in Rhinolophidae

See all species accounts for bats · Full species index

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