| Mehely's Horseshoe Bat | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Rhinolophidae |
| Genus: | Rhinolophus |
| Species: | R. mehelyi |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie, 1901 |
|
| Mehely's Horseshoe Bat range | |
Mehely's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus mehelyi) is a species of bat in the Rhinolophidae family found in eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East.
Contents |
The bat is medium-sized for a member of the Rhinolophus genus, with pale lips and grey-brown ears and flight membranes. The fur is relatively thick, with the base of hairs grey-white. Ventral fur is almost white, while dorsal fur is grey-brown; the line between the dorsal and ventral sides is relatively sharp.
The bat is cave-dwelling, preferring areas of limestone with nearby water. It has been known to nest in caves with other horseshoe bats, hanging free on the cave roof.
The bat emerges at dusk, hunting low over the ground on warm hillsides and also among bushes and trees, praying on moths and other insects.
The constant frequency sound is between 105 and 112 kHz, with a short drop in frequency at the end of the signal, which normally lasts between 20 and 30 milliseconds. There is some frequency overlap with the Lesser Horsehoe Bat and the Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat.