Rhinolophus alcyone Temminck 1852
Creators: name: Burgin, Connor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus alcyone

description: 3. Halcyon Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> <i>Rhinolophus alcyone</i> <b>French</b>: <i>Rhinolophe alcyone</i> / <b>German</b>: Alcyon-Hufeisennase / <b>Spanish</b>: Herradura <i>alción</i> <b>Taxonomy.</b> <i>Rhinolophus aZcyon</i> « Temminck, 1853, “ La rivière Boutry à la Guiné [= Boutry <b>River</b>, Guinea].” <i>Rhinolophus alcyone</i> is in the <i>landeri</i> species group with <i>R landeri, R guineensis, R blasii,</i> and <i>R lobatus.</i> It is genetically close to <i>R landeri,</i> although additional sampling is needed to fully resolve its placement Although no subspecies are recognized, there are distinct pelage differences between eastern and western populations and the Bioko Island population, suggesting taxonomic revision is needed. Specimens from Gabon might represent <i>R silvestris,</i> which requires additional investigation. Monotypic. Distribution. W &amp; <i>C</i> Africa from Senegal to Togo and from S Nigeria, S Cameroon, and SW Central African Republic to W Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Bioko I, and Gabon, also patchily in Congo Basin, SW South Sudan, and W Uganda. Descriptive <b>notes.</b> <i>Head—body</i> c. 57—68 mm, tail 18—32 mm, ear 19—25 mm, hindfoot 11-13 mm, forearm 48-56 mm; <i>weight</i> 14—23 g. Typical dorsal pelage is dark to medium brown (hairs are yellowish beige with brown tips); ventral pelage is slighdy paler. Orange-morph pelage is pale brown to bright orange-red, which is rare. Intermediate form has been recorded where body was dark brown, with orange-brown rump. Some males have bright orange <i>axillary</i> tufts. Ears are comparatively short (36—49% of forearm length) and have 8—9 internal folds. Noseleaf has subtriangular lancet, with straight or <i>slightly</i> concave margins; tip is <i>bluntly</i> pointed; sella has extremely short white hairs and is narrow with straight, almost parallel sides; top of sella is rounded and curved forward; connecting process is well developed and subtriangular, with <i>bluntly</i> to sharply pointed tip; horseshoe is of medium breadth (8-3-11- 2 mm) and nearly covers muzzle; and there are lateral leaflets present and median emargination. Lower lip has well-defined median groove and two poorly defined lateral grooves. <i>Wings</i> are medium to blackish brown, and first phalanx of fourth finger is relatively short (19—22% of fourth metacarpal). Uropatagium is paler brown; one specimen had cream uropatagium, with dark brown reticulation. Skull is robust, and zygomatic arches are moderately robust; zygomatic width is greater than mastoid width; nasal swellings are <i>relatively</i> high; anterior medium swellings are globular and prominent; lateral and posterior swellings are not as <i>prominent</i>; frontal depression is <i>very</i> shallow; supraorbital ridge is weak; and sagittal <i>crest</i> is <i>variably</i> developed, being low to well developed. P2 is in tooth row or <i>slightly</i> displaced labially; C1 and P4 are well separated; P3 can be either displaced labially from tooth row or within it; and P2 and P4 are separated. <b>Habitat.</b> Closed tropical moist forests and also savanna <b>with</b> pockets ofsuitable habitat. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Halcyon Horseshoe Bat is insectivorous. Breeding. One lactating and three pregnant Halcyon Horseshoe Bats were captured in western Uganda in midJune, and a birth was recorded in September. In Ivory Coast, four pregnant females were captured in mid-February. <b>Activity</b> patterns. During the day, Halcyon Horseshoe Bats roost in caves, hollow trees, roofs of thatched houses, and old mine shafts. Call <i>frequency</i> is 87 kHz in Uganda. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Halcyon Horseshoe Bats often occur in colonies of up to 20 individuals and <i>occasionally</i> alone. They have been <i>recorded</i> roosting with Cameroon Horseshoe Bats (7 <i>t</i> alticolus). <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on <i>The</i> IUCN <i>ed List.</i> Although the Halcyon Horseshoe Bat is considered rare and difficult to find, it is widespread and is currently considered not threatened. Potential threats include habitat loss from logging and agricultural expansion. It is hunted for food in some areas, which <i>might</i> be a localized threat. <b>Bibliography.</b> ACR (2018), Csorba et al. (2003), Grubb et al. (1998), Happold, M. (2013p), Monadjem, Taylor, Jacobs &amp; <i>Cotterill</i> (2017a), <i>Rosevear</i> (1965).
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 281-282, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3748525