Rhinolophus gorongosae Taylor, Macdonald, Goodman, Kearney, Cotterill, Stoffberg, Monadjem, Schoeman, Guyton, Naskrecki &amp; Richards 2018
Creators: name: Burgin, Connor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus gorongosae

description: <b>10</b>. Gorongosa Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> <i>Rhinolophus gorongosae</i> French: Rhinolophe du Gorongosa / <b> <i>German</i>:</b> Gorongosa-Hufeisennase / <b>Spanish:</b> Herradura de Gorongosa <b>Other common names:</b> Least Horseshoe Bat <b>Taxonomy.</b> <i>Rhinolophus gorongosae</i> P. J. Taylor <i>et al,</i> 2018, “ Bunga Inselberg, Gorongosa National Park, Sofala ProvinceMozambique - 18.599° S, 34.343° E, 212 m.” <i>Rhinolophus gorongosae</i> is in the <i>capensis</i> <i>species</i> group. It was previously included in A <i>swinnyi</i> <i>, but</i> genetic and morphological data showed it was closer to <i>R rhodesiae</i> and one specimen <i>of R landeri</i> from Liberia. There is a possibility of cryptic taxa within <i>R gorongosae</i> because two individuals sequenced from Gorongosa were distinct from one another. Specimen from <i>Mount</i> Inago is only tentatively assigned to <i>R gorongosae</i> based on its small size. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> N <b>&amp;</b> <i>C</i> Mozambique in Mt Inago and Gorongosa National Park; possibly also on Mt Mecula. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> <i>Head—body c</i>. 39—51 mm, tail 22—27 mm, ear 12- 5—22 mm, hindfoot 7- 5-9 mm, forearm 38-5-44- 5 mm; <i>weight</i> 4-5-6-Ô g. The Gorongosa Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> is externally similar to Roberts’s Horseshoe <b> Bat (<i>A</i></b> rhodesiae) and <i>Swinny’s</i> Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> (A <i>swinnyi</i> <i>).</i> Pelage ofthe Gorongosa Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> is <i>light</i> grayish or light brownish dorsally and lighter ventrally, being whitish toward mid-venter. Males lack axillary tufts. Ears are short (c.43% offorearm length). Noseleaf has subtriangular lancet, <b>with</b> straight to slightly concave sides and bluntly pointed tip; connecting process is rounded (about same height as tip of <i>sella</i>); sella is naked, with diminutive pointed tip; and horseshoe is narrow (width of 7—8 mm) and does not cover entire muzzle, does not have any lateral leaflets, and has notched median emargination. Wings and uropatagium are brown. Baculum is short, with reduced base and distinct notch on one side of shaft tip, varying in position, and shaft is distinguishable from <i>Swinny’s</i> Horseshoe <b>Bat by</b> being slightly narrow with narrow tip. Skull is delicately built; foramen magnum is reduced, and there is noticeable depression along parietal region; braincase is narrow, and nasal inflation is high <i>set</i> and narrow, <b>with</b> sharp slope toward maxillae; and P2 is <i>tiny</i> and displaced laterally, leaving distinct gap between C1 and P4. <b>Habitat.</b> Probably woodland savanna habitats and known from elevations of 212- 308 m. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> No information. Breeding. No information. <b>Activity</b> patterns. <b>Call</b> shape is FM/CF/ <b>FM</b>, and mean F component is 106 kHz (range 104—108 kHz) in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Not assessed on <i>T</i> /ie <i>IUCN ed List.</i> The Gorongosa Horseshoe Bat is currently known from only two locations, <b>which</b> might indicate that <i>it</i> should be classified in a threatened category. Most records are from Gorongosa National Park; but the entire distribution is currently uncertain. Additional sampling and genetic testing are needed. <b>Bibliography.</b> ACR (2018), Taylor, Macdonald et <i>al.</i> (2018).
description: Published as part of <i>Burgin, Connor, 2019, Rhinolophidae, pp. 280-332 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 285, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3748525