Rhinolophus philippinensis Waterhouse 1843
Creators: name: Burgin, Connor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus philippinensis

description: 50. Large-eared Horseshoe <b>Bat</b> <i>Rhinolophus philippinensis</i> French: Rhinolophe des Philippines <i> I <b>German</b></i> : Philippinen-Hufeisennase / <b>Spanish:</b> Herradura de ilipinas <b> Other <i>common</i> names:</b> Enormous-eared Horseshoe Bat; Greater Large-eared Horseshoe Bat (large morph), Lesser Large-eared Horseshoe Bat (small morph) <b>Taxonomy.</b> <i>Rhinolophus philippinensis</i> Waterhouse, 1843, Luzon, Philippines. Included in the <i>philippinensis species</i> group along with <i>R montanus</i> and <i>R achilles,</i> both of which have generally been regarded as subspecies of <i>R philippinensis.</i> The <i>philippinensis</i> group may be best included within the <i>megaphyllus</i> species group, based on genetic data <b>which</b> show that if <i>not</i>, the <i>megaphyllus</i> group is paraphyletic with respect to <i>R philippinensis.</i> This has led to considerable taxonomic confusion, as populations from Australia (both small and large forms discussed under <i>R achiUes)</i> are closely related to <i>R megaphyllus,</i> <b>while</b> the Sabah (and probably also the Sarawak) and New Guinea populations form their own clades. Populations in the Philippines and Lesser Sundas have not been <i>genetically</i> tested and neither has <i>R montanus,</i> so at present it is impossible to make firm taxonomic conclusions. The Sabah and New Guinea populations are included here but Australian and Kai Island populations are recognized as a distinct species, based on genetic and morphological data (see <i>R achiUes).</i> Proposed races <i>alleni</i> and <i>sanbomi</i> are considered synonyms of <i>mams,</i> based on morphological similarities. Throughout the distribution of <i>R philippinensis,</i> there are large and small forms, and even within populations there can be several size morphs, such as three in Sabah and Sulawesi (large, intermediate, and small). The three morphs in Sulawesi cluster together <i>genetically</i> in an mtDNA study presented <i>by</i> T. Kingston and S. J. Rossiter in 2004, despite having distinct call frequencies and markedly different forearm lengths. In the same study, Buton Island (offsouth-east Sulawesi) specimens clustered separately from Australian <i>R achiUes,</i> although the authors only included specimens from these two populations. Continued research is desperately needed within the <i>species</i> complex. Two subspecies are recognized. Subspecies <b>and</b> Distribution. <i>R p. philippinensis</i> Waterhouse, 1843 - Philippines (Luzon, Polillo, Mindoro, Samar, Negros, Bohol, Siquijor, and Mindanao Is). <i>R p. maros</i> Tate &amp; Archbold, 1939 - N Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak), SW Sulawesi, <b>Kabaena</b>, Buton, <i>Flores</i>, and E Timor Is, and C Papua New Guinea (Mt Karimui and <i>Waro</i>). Descriptive <b>notes</b>. Head—body <i>c</i>. 56-61 mm, tail 29—37 mm, ear 30-38 mm, hindfoot 10-11 mm, forearm 47-58 mm; <i>weight</i> 6-7- 12 g. The Large-eared Horseshoe Bat has distinct size morphs throughout much of its distribution. In one study, three size morphs were found in sympatry on Buton Island, off Sulawesi, average forearm lengths being large (56- 1 mm), intermediate (50- 6 mm), and small (47 mm). Dorsal pelage is light cinnamon buff or dark brown, while ventral pelage is paler and more grayish; there is no orange morph. Ears are enormous and antitragus is well developed and marked off by deep notch. Noseleaf has prominent lancet with a rounded tip connecting process is low, has convex outline, and joins lancet near base; sella is very large, long, and tongue-shaped, being <i>narrowest</i> at base with longitudinal median depression extending nearly to top; intemarial cup is very broad and extends laterally over much of horseshoe’s width; 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 P3 is also within tooth row separating P2 and P4. <b>Habitat.</b> Primary and secondary lowland and montane rainforest, riparian forest, open forest, and woodland, as well as disturbed forest in Sulawesi and <i>Flores</i>. Large-eared Horseshoe Bats are typically found near caves or other roosting sites <b>but</b> have been recorded in forest where no caves are known to exist. They have been recorded from sea level up to 1500 m, <b>typically</b> occurring at higher densities at lower elevations. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Large-eared Horseshoe Bat is insectivorous, foraging among dense vegetation. Breeding. Litter size is a single young. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Large-eared Horseshoe Bat is nocturnal, roosting during the day in warm, humid small caves and abandoned mine shafts; also large, deep caves in the Philippines. Call shape is FM/CF/FM with a peak F recorded at 31-32 kHz on Bohol Island, Philippines, 36-6 kHz in Sabah, Borneo, 27 kHz in East Timor, 27-2 kHz (large morph), 39 kHz (intermediate morph) and 53-6 kHz (<b>small</b> morph) on <b>Buton</b> Island, Indonesia. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Large-eared Horseshoe <b>Bats</b> appear to roost in relatively small numbers. <b>When</b> roosting, individuals hang separately rather than in a cluster. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on <i>The IUCNed List.</i> Although widespread, the Large-eared Horseshoe Bat is not particularly common throughout its range. It may be threatened by general habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as roost disturbance. <b>Bibliography.</b> Armstrong &amp; Konishi (2012), Bonaccorso (1998), <i>Cooper</i> eta/. (1998), Csorba <i>et al.</i> (2003), Duya et <i>al.</i> (2007), Flannery (1995a, 1995b), Heaney <i>et</i> al. (2016), <i>Kingston</i> &amp; <i>Rossiter</i> (2004), <i>Tu</i> Vuong Tan, Hassanin et <i>al.</i> (2017), Zhang Lin <i>et</i> al. (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 305, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3748525