Rhinolophus achilles Thomas 1900
Creators: name: Burgin, Connor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus achilles

description: 51. Queensland Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> <i>Rhinolophus achilles</i> <b>French</b>: Rhinolophe achilie/ <b>German</b>: <i>Queensland-Hufeisennase</i> /Spanish: Herradura de Queensland <b>Other common names</b>: Greater Large-eared Horseshoe Bat (large form). Intermediate Horseshoe Bat (small form) <b>Taxonomy.</b> <i>Rhinolophus achilles</i> Thomas, 1900, Kai Islands, Indonesia. Included in the <i>philippinensis</i> species group and previously treated as a subspecies of <i>R. philippinensis.</i> There is considerable confusion as to which populations belong to which taxon within this clade, as not all populations attributed to <i>R philippinensis</i> (sensu lato) have been genetically tested. The name <i>mbertsi</i> has been used for this species in recent publications, but these papers were referring only to populations in Queensland, and it is treated here as a <i>synonym</i>. Based on morphology, the populations on the Kai Islands and Queensland belong to the same species, for which the name <i>achiUes</i> has nomenclatural priority. Two variations are currently recognized within Australian <i>R achiUes,</i> a large form (“true” <i>R achiUes)</i> and a small form (a possibly undescribed species termed the “Intermediate Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> ”); these differ in size and echolocation peak frequency, and their taxonomy is unclear. They are genetically very similar, and based on an mtDNA study in 2004 they form a monophyletic cluster that is sister to the Sulawesian samples. There are theories that the smaller form may be a hybrid <i>R achiUes</i> x <i>R megaphyllus</i> or an ecological adaptation to eating different prey rather than a distinct species. <i>R achiUes</i> is here recognized as a full species separate from <i>R philippinensis,</i> following taxonomic authorities within Australia (although they refer to these populations as <i>R mbertsi)</i> and based on the genetic distance between this species and other members of the <i>philippinensis</i> group, but further taxonomic work is required on all populations and forms within the <i>philippinensis</i> group. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Kai Is and N Australia (Cape <i>York</i> Peninsula, NE Queensland); large form (true <b>Ä</b> <i>achiUes)</i> from Iron Range S to Townsville and W to Chillagoe, Queensland, and Kai Is; small form (“Intermediate Horseshoe Bat”) from Iron Range and Mcllwraith Range N of Coen in Queensland. Descriptive <b>notes.</b> Head-body 45-59 mm, tail 25-34- 4 mm, ear 25-3-27- 3 mm, forearm 50-53- 5 mm, weight 8-3-9- 9 g for the small form; head-body 54-60 mm, tail 31- 34- 3 mm, ear 29-33- 3 mm, forearm 52-59 mm, <i>weight</i> 10-1-16- 2 g for the large form. The Queensland Horseshoe Bat has two major size morphs that are separable, based mostly on size (see measurements above) but also by their noseleaves, small form having narrower sella (less than two-thirds of horseshoe width) than large form (greater than two-thirds of horseshoe width). There is also a cline from north to south with smaller animals in south. Dorsal pelage is grayish brown peppered with white hairs (giving a somewhat grizzled appearance), while ventral pelage is paler and more grayish. Noseleaf, anus, and penis or pubic teats are usually gray (small form) or bright yellow or gray (large form). There is no orange morph. Ears are enormous and antitragus is well developed and marked off by deep notch. Noseleaf has prominent lancet with broadly rounded tip; connecting process is low, has convex outline, andjoins lancet near base; sella is very large, long, and tongue-shaped, being narrowest at base with longitudinal median depression extending nearly to top; intemarial cup is very broad and extends laterally over much of horseshoe width, although this varies between the two forms; horseshoe is exceptionally broad, covers and extends well past muzzle, has deep median emargination, and lateral leaflets. Skull is narrow and long (zygomatic width is much less than mastoid width); median nasal swellings are conspicuous and elliptical and protrude anteriorly well beyond rostral wall; lateral compartments are elongate; sagittal crest is very low to low; frontal depression is deep or moderately deep; supraorbital crests are moderately developed. P2 is small but within tooth row completely, separating <i>C</i> 1 and P4; tiny to small Ps is also within tooth row separating P, and P4. Habitat. Queensland Horseshoe Bats forage in a variety offorested habitats, including rainforest, gallery forest, paperbark forests, and tropical eucalypt woodlands. <b>Food and</b> Feeding. Queensland Horseshoe Bats are insectivorous, generally foraging below the canopy around cluttered, dense vegetation. They forage by aerial-hawking, perch-hunting, and to a lesser extent ground and vegetation gleaning; they are slow, fluttery fliers when foraging. Fecal pellets collected in late November from <i>pregnant</i> females contained primarily moths (mostly non-eared moth families that cannot hear their echolocation calls; Anthelidae, Lasiocampidae, and Cossidae) and beetles, although some grasshoppers, crickets, and lacewings were evident as well. They may perch to consume prey, discarding the wings of moths before consuming them. <b>Breeding.</b> In Queensland heavily pregnant females have been captured in late October at Mount Molloy, in October in the Mcllwraith Range, and late November in the Iron Range. Litter size is one young; births seem to occur in October and November, indicating that these bats undergo restricted seasonal monoestry. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Queensland Horseshoe Bat is nocturnal, leaving the roost at dusk to forage through the night and coming back at dawn to roost all day. It may be able to enter a torpid state during the day, but does not hibernate. The species has been recorded roosting in humid, warm caves, abandoned mines, and road culverts, occasionally in hollows at the bases oflarge trees. Call shape is FM/CF/FM and peak F has been recorded at 28-34 kHz (large form) and 40 kHz (small form) in Queensland. <b>Movements, Home range and Social</b> organization. The Queensland Horseshoe Bat is generally less gregarious than other rhinolophids, roosting spread out within the roost rather than in a cluster. Not many individuals will share the same roost, with up to 18 recorded from a large cave that also included several thousand Australian Long-fingered Bats (Minipterus <i>orianae)</i> and several hundred Eastern Horseshoe Bats (<i>R</i>. <i>megaphyllus</i> <i>).</i> However, the normal number of individuals found sharing a cave is usually under ten. Females form small maternity colonies when giving birth and rearing <i>young</i>; these are at <i>relatively</i> low densities. Maternity roosts may be shared with Eastern Horseshoe Bats. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Not assessed on <i>The IUCN Red List</i> due to <i>recent</i> elevation to species level. The Queensland Horseshoe Bat seems to have <i>relatively</i> low population densities and is rather rare throughout its range. In Australia, habitat destruction caused by deforestation and mining are major threats to the species, since it relies so heavily on forested habitats for foraging. Stress caused by roost disturbance through ecotourism is also a particularly major threat to this species, as well as the collapse, reopening, and destruction of abandoned mine shafts. <i>Due</i> to its limited distribution and the threats, the species would probably be considered Vulnerable or Endangered on <i>The IUCNed List,</i> and various agencies have discussed the protection of this species in Australia; it is listed as Vulnerable by the EPBC Act. Further research into threats is needed. <b>Bibliography.</b> Churchill (2008), <i>Cooper</i> eta/. (1998), Flannery (1995a, 1995b), Kingston &amp; Rossiter (2004), Kutt (2004), Pavey (1999), Pavey &amp; Kutt (2008), Reardon et al. (2010), <i>Thomson</i> et <i>al.</i> (2001), TSSC (2016), <i>Vestjens</i> &amp; Hall SÄ'.
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 pages 305-306, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3748525