SEAVR 2020: 045‐046
ISSN: 2424‐8525
Date of publication: 13 November 2020
Hosted online by ecologyasia.com

First record of Hipposideros coronatus (Peters 1871) (Hipposideridae)
on Siargao Island, Philippines
Ace Kevin S. AMARGA & Desamarie Antonette P. FERNANDEZ
ace_amarga061@yahoo.com (Amarga), dpfernandez1@up.edu.ph (Fernandez)

Collaborators: Ace Kevin S. Amarga, Roel Alfredo D. Ruzol.
Photographs by: Ace Kevin S. Amarga.
Subject identified by: Ace Kevin S. Amarga, Krizler C. Tanalgo, Desamarie Antonette P. Fernandez.
Location: Barangay Esperanza, Del Carmen Watershed, Siargao Island, Philippines.
Elevation: 20 metres ASL.
Habitat: Agroforest area with a small cave nearby.
Date and time: 03 October 2016, 21:00 hrs.
Identity of subject:
Large Mindanao Roundleaf Bat, Hipposideros coronatus (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Hipposideridae).
Description of record: An adult female was captured in a mistnet established across the stream near the caveentrance (Fig. 1). It had a forearm length of 46.97 mm, head‐and‐body length of 58.63 mm, tail length of 36.31 mm,
ear length of 14.53 mm, hindfoot length of 8.22 mm, and weight of 20 grams.

Fig. 1 and inset.

© Ace Kevin S. Amarga

45

Remarks:
Hipposideros coronatus is a member of the “bicolor” species complex along with two other Philippine endemic
hipposiderids: H. obscurus and H. pygmaeus (Patterson et al. 2020). The captured specimen is identified based on
its tail length greater than 30 mm, forearm length about 47 mm, and other external features such as its medium
brown dorsal pelage with tint of orange, pale creamy orange ventral pelage, narrow and simple noseleaf (Fig.1inset), absence of vertical septa in posterior noseleaf, and absence of secondary leaflets on lateral region to anterior
noseleaf (Ingle & Heaney 1992; Heaney et al. 2010).
Prior to its current valid name, H. coronatus was first described as Phyllorhina coronata from a single specimen
collected by the German zoologist Carl Semper from Mainit, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao Island (Peters 1871). This
poorly known endemic species inhabits caves and secondary lowland forests (Heaney et al. 2010; Sedlock et al.
2014; Phelps et al. 2016) in the Greater Mindanao Pleistocene Island Aggregate Complex and has been reported in
Bohol, Samar, Surigao del Norte (type locality), and Surigao del Sur (Peters 1871; Heaney et al. 2010; Sedlock et al.
2014; Phelps et al. 2016). This species has also been reported outside its geographic range such as in Isabela
Province (Cabauatan et al. 2014) and the Polillo islands (Bennett et al. 2001). However, it was not recorded inprevious surveys on Siargao Island by Heaney & Rabor (1982) and Nuñeza & Galorio (2014).
H. coronatus is recognized as a rare species due to very few published sightings and collected specimens since its
description. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) designated this species under the Data
Deficient category due to its rarity and very limited information on its biology. Furthermore, anthropogenic
activities such as cave disturbance and forest fragmentation may impose a threat to its current population (Phelpset al. 2016).
Permit: This research was authorized by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Region
13 (Wildlife Gratuitous Permit No. R13‐2016‐004) and conducted through the Monitoring and Detection ofEcosystems Changes for Enhancing Resilience and Adaptation in the Philippines (MODECERA) Research Programwith the Surigao State College of Technology – Del Carmen Campus and the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
References:Bennett, D., Hampson, K., Walker, S., Clements, T. & Alviola, P. (2001). Further Studies on the Chiropteran Fauna ofthe Polillos Island. FFI, Cambridge, UK.
Cabauatan, J.G., Ramos, M.T., Taggueg, J.B., Callueng, A.M. & Tumaliuan, S.S. (2014). Assessment of faunal diversity
on selected caves of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMNP), Northern Cagayan Valley, Philippines.
International Journal of Agricultural Technology 10(3): 631‐649.
Heaney, L.R., Dolar, M.L., Balete, D.S., Esselstyn, J.A., Rickart, E.A. & Sedlock, J.L. (2010). Synopsis of Philippine
Mammals. Retrieved on 22 October 2020 from:http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/philippine_mammals/species_order/SP_110.asp.
Heaney, L.R. & Rabor, D.S. (1982). The mammals of Dinagat and Siargao islands, Philippines. Occasional Papers of
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Sedlock, J.L., Jose, R.P., Vogt, J.M., Paguntalan, L.M.J. & Cariño, A.B. (2014). A survey of bats in a karst landscape inthe central Philippines. Acta Chiropterologica 16(1): 197‐21146