Rhinolophus hilli Aellen 1973
Creators: name: Burgin, Connor
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus hilli

description: 37. Hill’s Horseshoe Bat <i>Rhinolophus hilli</i> French: Rhinolophe de <i>Hill</i> / <b>German:</b> Hill-Hufeisennase / Spanish: Herradura de <i>Hill</i> Taxonomy. <i>Rhinolophus hilli</i> Aellen, 1973, “ Uwinka, Prefecture]. Cyangugu, Rwanda, alt. 2300 m.” <i>Rhinolophus hilli</i> is in the <i>maclaudi</i> species group and was considered a subspecies of <i>R maclaudi</i> and <i>subsequently R ruwenzorii.</i> Recent morphological studies support its recognition as a distinct species. <i>Monotypic</i>. Distribution. SW Rwanda in Uwinka and Ruta Bansugera in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Descriptive <b>notes.</b> <i>Head—body</i> 62- 7 mm, tail 29' 3 mm, ear 28- 7 mm, hindfoot 12- 2 mm, forearm 54- 2 mm and 54- 3 mm; weight 16- 5 g (all measurements from one specimen <i>except</i> forearm which refers to two). Dorsal and ventral pelage is dark brown. There is no known orange morph. Males lack axillary tufts. Ears are of medium length (<i>c</i>.53% <i>of</i> forearm length), with nine internal folds, and very large antitragus. Noseleaf has subtriangular lancet that is conspicuously taller than sella; connecting process is largely reduced, low, and concave, leaving large depression between sella and lancet; sella is naked, upright, and about parallel to lancet, having concave sides and distinctly broadened and rounded spoon-shaped top; narial lobes at base of sella are <i>very</i> enlarged, forming nearly circular cup; nostrils are bordered by semicircular raised rims that are parallel to inner cup; and horseshoe is of medium width at c. 12 mm, covers muzzle, has lateral leaflets, and has conspicuous median emargination. Lower lip has conspicuous medial groove and two indistinct lateral grooves. <i>Wings</i> and uropatagium are dark gray. Skull is large and slender, with weak zygomatic arches (zygomatic width is slightly less than mastoid width); nasal swellings are high domed, with roughly circular chambers when viewed dorsally; frontal depression is very deep; sagittal crest is moderately developed anteriorly and <i>weakly</i> developed posteriorly; and interpterygoid groove is <i>very</i> deep. P2 is small and completely displaced labially; C1 and P4 nearly touch; P3 is small and slightly to completely displaced labially; and P2 and P4 do <i>not</i> touch. <b>Habitat.</b> Montane tropical moist forest at elevations of 1750-2512 m. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> No information. Breeding. Holotype <i>of</i> Hill’s Horseshoe Bat was a <i>pregnant</i> female collected in late August. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Hill’s Horseshoe Bats likely roost in caves. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Critically Endangered on <i>The IUCN ed List.</i> Hill’s Horseshoe Bat is known from only two specimens collected in a region seriously affected by civil war. It is probably threatened by general habitat loss, roost destruction, and possibly use as bushmeat. It is found in Nyungwe Forest National Park. <b>Bibliography.</b> ACR (2018), Csorba et al. (2003), Fahr (2010, 2013e), ahr et al. (2002), Kerbis Peterhans et al. (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 299, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3748525