Blasius's horseshoe bat

Blasius's Horseshoe Bat
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Rhinolophidae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Species: R. blasii
Binomial name
Rhinolophus blasii
Peters, 1866
Blasius's Horseshoe Bat range

Blasius's Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus blasii) is a species of bat in the Rhinolophidae family found throughout large parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Northern Africa.

Physical appearance

R. blasii is a medium-sized horsehoe bat, with a length of between 46.5 and 56 mm (1.83 and 2.20 in), and a weight of between 12 and 15 g (0.42 and 0.53 oz). The fur is fluffy, with the base of hairs almost white. Dorsal side hair is grey brown, sometimes with a lilac tinge, while the hair on the ventral side is almost white.

Habitat

Blasius's Horseshoe Bat lives in warm limestone-based areas with fairly open covers of shrubs and trees. Summer and winter roosts are in caves, with the bats hanging freely and not in contact with other bats.

Echolocation

The constant frequency signal is 93–98 kHz, with a short drop in frequency at the end of each signal, which normally lasts 40-50 milliseconds.

References