Rhinolophus mossambicus Peter J. Taylor &amp; Samantha Stoffberg &amp; Ara Monadjem &amp; Martinus Corrie Schoeman &amp; Julian Baylis &amp; Fenton P. D. Cotterill 2012, new species
Creators: name: Taylor, Peter J.
name: Stoffberg, Samantha
name: Monadjem, Ara
name: Schoeman, Martinus Corrie
name: Baylis, Julian
name: Fenton P. D. Cotterill
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Rhinolophidae
Rhinolophus
Rhinolophus mossambicus

description: <i>Rhinolophus mossambicus</i> new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 0D97DC39-F9CD-415E-A7AE4DCF70C807B4 Mozambican Horseshoe Bat Fig. 4, 4, Fig. S1, Table 3, 4, Table S1, Appendix S1 <b>Holotype.</b> DM8578, male, alcohol skin, skull and baculum, collected by A. Monadjem on 1 July 2006. Skull and mandible in good condition. <b>Type locality.</b> Niassa Game Reserve (Maputo Camp), northern Mozambique, 12 <b>°</b> 10 <i>'</i> 56 <i>"</i> S; 37 <b>°</b> 33 <i>'</i> 00 <i>"</i> E; elevation 489 m asl. <b>Diagnosis.</b> Peak frequency between 35–38 kHz (not recorded in holotype but inferred from members of the same genetic clade). Members of this cryptic species are genetically distinct from <i>R. hildebrandtii</i> s.s. (7.7–9.0% cytochrome b uncorrected divergence; Clade 2 in Fig. 2 and Fig. S1). Noseleaf with typical low rounded profile of connecting process in the holotype (Fig. 8d) although slight variation was observed among members of this species with one specimen having a higher and rounded shape (Fig. 8f). Skull intermediate-sized (GSL 28.5 mm; CCL 25.0 mm in the holotype; range of GSL 27–29 mm; CCL 24–26 mm; Table 5) and can be distinguished from larger (<i>cohenae</i>, <i>mabuensis</i>) and smaller (<i>smithersi</i>) species, although it is overlapped by measurements of the type (GSL 27.4 mm) and cotype (GSL 27.6 mm) of <i>R. hildebrandtii</i> (Table 5). Frontal depression reduced in holotype and five other members of this species examined; sagittal crest very pronounced, much higher than rostral chamber in lateral profile and commencing just posterior to the reduced frontal depression; in this respect it can be distinguished from <i>cohenae</i> and <i>mabuensis</i> in which the sagittal crest is reduced, and starts further back mid-dorsally in the inter-orbital region behind a well-developed frontal depression. The baculum conforms to the ‘‘ Type 2’’ (shaft wide in dorsal view and horizontal in lateral view with rounded tip) and measures 3.14 mm in total length in the holotype (Fig. 9; Table 5). The anterior upper premolar is minute and external to the toothrow (in the holotype and three additional specimens examined; in a fourth (DM 11276) the anterior premolar was absent), as found also in <i>R. eloquens</i> but not in any other members of the <i>hildebrandtii</i> complex. There is a single mental groove in the holotype and in three other members of this species examined. Genotypes classify <i>R. mossambicus</i> in Clade 2. <b>Paratypes.</b> DM 8577 adult female alcohol and skull from Namapa, northern Mozambique; DM 8579 adult male alcohol, skull and baculum from Chinizuia, central Mozambique; DM 8580 adult male alcohol, skull and baculum from Gorongosa Caves, central Mozambique; DM 11276, adult female alcohol and skull from Gerhard’s Cave, southern Mozambique. <b>Description.</b> Generally conforms to the previously published keys and description [12], i.e. a large-sized bat (forearm 60– 65 mm; 63.9 mm in holotype) with medium or large ears (28– 37 mm; 32.6 mm in holotype), wide horseshoe (13–14.2 mm; 14.2 mm in holotype) covering the muzzle, sella constricted at its proximal third, almost parallel-sided above and having long hairs, lancet relatively long and straight-sized, lower lip with single median groove, upper parts greyish-brown, with individual hairs long and unicoloured, underparts same colour or very slightly paler, skull large and heavily built (Fig. 9). <b>Distribution.</b> Based on genetic data, the species is known from five localities in Mozambique from altitudes of, 500 m (Fig. 1: Chinizuia Forest, Gerhard’s Cave, Gorongosa Caves, Namapa and Niassa Game Reserve) and one locality, Lutope-Ngolangola Confluence in NW Zimbabwe. These scattered records across the subregion suggest that <i>R. mossambicus</i> is widespread across the savanna biome of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Its overall range awaits elucidation (Fig. 2). <b>Ecology.</b> Associated with the southern savanna biome. Based on five localities in Mozambique, its range extends from 60– 500 m, and to 1000 m in NW Zimbabwe. <b>Etymology.</b> The name denotes the country of origin (Mozambique) of the type specimen of this species. Additional sequenced specimens from Mozambique suggest that the species is widely distributed throughout this country. However <i>R. mossambicus</i> was not recorded on montane islands (Mts Mabu and Inago) to which populations of <i>R. mabuensis</i> are restricted. <b>Specimens examined.</b> See Table S1.
description: Published as part of <i>Peter J. Taylor, Samantha Stoffberg, Ara Monadjem, Martinus Corrie Schoeman, Julian Baylis &amp; Fenton P. D. Cotterill, 2012, Four New Bat Species (Rhinolophus hildebrandtii Complex) Reflect Plio-Pleistocene Divergence of Dwarfs and Giants across an Afromontane Archipelago, pp. 1-23 in PLoS ONE 7 (9)</i> on pages 19-20, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041744, http://zenodo.org/record/4244560
description: {"references": ["12. Csorba G, Ujhelyip P, Thomas N (2003) Horseshoe Bats of the World (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae). Shropshire: Alana books."]}