Rhinolophus ruwenzorii Hill 1942
Creators: name: Burgin, Connor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus ruwenzorii

description: 40. Ruwenzori Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> <i>Rhinolophus ruwenzorii</i> <b>French:</b> Rhinolophe du Rwenzori / <b>German:</b> Ruwenzori-Hufeisennase / <b>Spanish:</b> Herradura <i>de</i> Rwenzori Taxonomy. <i>Rhinolophus ruwenzorii</i> Hill, 1942, “ south side of Butahu <i>Valley</i>, western slope of <i>Mount</i> Ruwenzori [DR Congo], altitude 7,500 feet [= 2286 m].” <i>Rhinolophus ruwenzorii</i> is in the <i>maclaudi</i> species group. It has been considered a subspecies of <i>R hilli,</i> but morphometric data clearly demonstrate their distinction as separate species. Monotypic. Distribution. Endemic to Ruwenzori <b>Mts</b> (NE DR Congo and SW Uganda), Ituri Forest and <b>Kivu</b> (NE DR Congo), Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest National Park (SW Uganda), and Mutura district (NW <i>Rwanda</i>). Descriptive <b>notes.</b> Head-body 52-72 mm, tail 25-35 mm, ear 32-40 mm, hindfoot 11-7—14- 5 mm, forearm 55-61- 7 mm; weight 16-19- 5 g. Dorsal pelage is medium to dark smoky brown; venter is paler. There is no reported orange morph. Males lack axillary tufts. Ears are medium-long in length (57-66% of forearm length), with eight internal folds and very large antitragus. Noseleaf has subtriangular lancet, with <i>bluntly</i> pointed tip, and is taller than height of sella; connecting process is <i>very</i> reduced, low, and concave, leaving large depression between sella and lancet; sella is naked, <i>upright</i>, and about parallel to lancet, with concave sides and distinctly broadened and rounded spoon-shaped top; narial lobes at base of sella are very enlarged, nearly forming circular cup; nostrils are bordered by semicircular raised rims that are parallel to inner cup; and horseshoe is of medium width at 10-8—12- 6 mm, with lateral leaflets and conspicuous median emargination. Lower lip has conspicuous medial groove and two poorly developed lateral grooves that are <i>occasionally</i> lacking. <i>Wings</i> and uropatagium are dark gray. Skull is large but slender with weak zygomatic arches (zygomatic width is less than mastoid width); nasal swellings are high, with roughly circular chambers when viewed dorsally; frontal depression is very deep; sagittal crest is moderately developed anteriorly and poorly developed posteriorly, and interpterygoid groove is very deep. P2 is small and in tooth row or slightly displaced labially, separating C1 and P4; P3 is small and slightly to completely displaced labially; and distance between P2 and P4 is variable. <b>Habitat.</b> Primarily submontane forests and marginally into lowland rainforests at elevations of 1066-2667 m. The Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bat is typically found in regions with montane evergreen/bamboo forests. <b>Food and</b> Feeding. Stomach samples of five Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats contained large moths, including their chewed-up wings and legs suggesting they eat prey whole without taking <i>off</i> any <i>body</i> parts. <b>Breeding.</b> <i>Four</i> female Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats that had recently stopped lactating were captured in late March along with two large juveniles. This indicated that some births occurred in early to mid-February. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats are nocturnal. Day roosts are found in caves and abandoned mine shafts. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Ruwenzori Horseshoe Bats roost singly or in small groups of up to ten individuals. They have been recorded sharing day roosts with Long-haired Fruit Bats <i>(Stenonycteris lanosus),</i> Geoffrey's Horseshoe Bats <i>(clivosus),</i> and Sundevall’s Leaf-nosed Bats <i>(</i> Hipposideros <i>caffer)</i> or Noack’s Leafnosed Bats, (<i>H. ruber).</i> <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Vulnerable on <i>The</i> IUCN <i>ed List.</i> The Ruwenzori Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> is threatened by habitat loss and degradation and possibly overharvesting for bushmeat. <b>Bibliography.</b> ACR (2018), <i>Baeten</i> et <i>al.</i> (1984), Csorba et <i>al.</i> (2003), <i>Fahr</i> (2008b, 2013h), Fahr et <i>al.</i> (2002), <i>Hayman</i> et <i>al.</i> (1966), Kerbis Peterhans et <i>al.</i> (2013), Smith &amp; Hood (1980).
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 300, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3748525