Horseshoe bat research and conservation

A new, redesigned site will be uploaded when funding is assured. At the moment news are collected silently...
Be informed about news on Rhinolophus.net: subscribe by sending your email address.

News (mostly in original language)
I / 21 March 2003	by Mauro Mucedda
Lanza B., Mucedda M. & Agnelli P. (2002). On the orange Sardinian Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie 1901 (Mammalia Chiroptera Rhinolophidae). Boll. Mus. reg. Sci. nat. Torino, 19, 2: 427-432. In Sardinia it has been observed that the fur of some specimens of Rhinolophus mehelyi is uniformously or nearly uniformously reddish-brown to orange or orange-red instead of grey-brown dorsally and whitish ventrally; these animals correspond, as in other Oriental and Afrotropical Rhinolophus, to those individuals that change their colouration from brown to orange during the coat ageing process occurring between one moult and the following one. Up to now such colour phases of Mehely's horseshoe bat have not been observed in other areas.
B / 21 February 2003	by Grégory Motte
Motte, G., & Libois, R. (2002): Conservation of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros Bechstein, 1800) (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Belgium. A case study of feeding habitat requirements. Belg. J. Zool., 132 (1): 47-52. The aim of this study was to determine the habitat use of the last important Belgian colony of Rhinolophus hipposideros, Bechstein, 1800, one of the most endangered bat species in Europe. During 71 evenings from April to August 1998, ultrasound detection was performed and, in late August, a female horseshoe bat was caught and fitted with a radio transmitter. The results showed that hedgerows and woodlands with bushes and coppice are key foraging habitats. They also highlight the importance of the presence of a network of wooded elements connecting the maternity roost with the foraging areas. To assure long-term protection of this colony, strong habitat conservation measures should be taken in a radius of up to 1-2 km around the roost.	publication
West Africa / 9 February 2003	by Jakob Fahr
Fahr, J., Vierhaus, H., Hutterer, R. & Kock, D., 2002. A revision of the Rhinolophus maclaudi species group with the description of a new species from West Africa (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae). Myotis 40: 95-126. Rhinolophus ziama n. sp. from the Upper Guinea highlands in Guinea and Liberia is described. This new taxon differs from R. maclaudi in being significantly smaller in size, and from R. ruwenzorii and R. hilli by skull shape and noseleaf morphology. These four related species are allocated to the formally established R. maclaudi group. A published record of R. maclaudi from Nigeria is here re-identified as R. hildebrandtii and represents the first record for West Africa. R. ruwenzorii is reported for the first time from Rwanda. We discuss the biogeography of the species group and propose that its members might represent an ancient radiation now restricted to two disjunct refuges in the Upper Guinea highlands and the mountain range along the Albertine Rift. This pattern strikingly resembles that of Micropotamogale lamottei and M. ruwenzorii (Tenrecidae). The conservation status of the four species is discussed and updated IUCN Red List categories are proposed. It seems likely that these species are seriously threatened both by habitat degradation within their small distribution ranges and direct exploitation in their day roosts.	R. ziama n. sp. photo (c) H. Vierhaus (publication).
A / 20 January 2003	by Guido Reiter
Guido Reiter, Ulrich Hüttmeir & Maria Jerabek: Maternity roost counts of lesser horseshoe bats in Austria: The preliminary results of standardised maternity roost counts in the Austrian provinces Carinthia and Salzburg indicate an increase of the population from 1998 to 2002. The amount of the increase was substantial: the number of individuals doubled in Salzburg. In the last years the increase was, however, less obvious . Though there were inter-colony differences in the population dynamics, the overall trend was identical in both provinces, which are situated south (Carinthia) and within and north (Salzburg) of the Austrian Central Alps. In addition to these promising results new roosts could be found in both provinces each year (most of them in private houses).	Population trend in 24 roosts of Austria. www.fledermausschutz.at
D / 19 December 2002	by Andreas Zahn
Jennifer Holzhaider, Eva Kriner, Bernd-Ulrich Rudolf & Andreas Zahn (2002): Radio-tracking a Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) in Bavaria: an experiment to locate roosts and foraging sites. Myotis 40: 47-54. A radio-tracking experiment with Rhinolophus hipposideros in southern Bavaria revealed a new roost of a colony and an insight into the foraging areas of this species in the Alps. The radio-tracked female mainly foraged in mountainous forests using 7 different foraging areas in three nights. They were located at an average distance of 2.4 km (max. 3.6) from the roost.	One foraging habitat. report
UK / 18 October 2002	by Fabio Bontadina
Fabio Bontadina, Henry Schofield & Beat Naef-Daenzer (2002): Radio-tracking reveals that lesser horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros) forage in woodland. J. Zool., Lond. 258: 281-290. In this study, radiotransmitters weighing < 0.35 g were built. These increased the body mass of the animals from 4.5% to 8.1%, with no demonstrable adverse effect on their Øight behaviour. The habitat selection of eight female lesser horseshoe bats was studied in Monmouthshire, U.K. The bats had foraging ranges between 12 and 53 ha (100% kernel). Although one bat foraged 4.2km from the roost, for 50% of the time tracked bats were recorded within 600m of the nursery roost. The estimated density within 200m of the roost was 5.8 foraging bats/ha. This decreased to 0.01 bats/ha at 1200 m. Compositional analysis revealed that this species used woodlands, predominately broadleaf, more than any other habitat. In addition, the bats foraged in areas of high habitat diversity. Conservation management of this species should concentrate on such areas within 2.5km of the nursery roost.	photo (c) F. Greenaway publication
UK / 1 October 2002	by Henry Schofield
Henry Schofield, John Messenger, Johnny Birks & David Jermyn (2002): Foraging and roosting behaviour of lesser horseshoe bats at the Ciliau, Radnor (Wales, UK). Report of The Vincent Wildlife Trust. The objectives of the study were: Identify potential areas for a new bat house · Identify satellite and night roosts · Identify foraging areas and commuting routes · Determine whether there is a relationship to another colony. They give the following recommendations (clipped): The SSSI boundary (conservation area perimeter) for the colony should be extended to include important foraging habitat not currently protected · Commuting routes within the SSSI boundary should be protected and their continuity and structure maintained or improved. · The sheep grazed woodlands on the west bank of the Wye valley should be fenced to reduce grazing pressure and allow woodland regeneration · An inventory of the cavities in the rock outcrops within the proposed SSSI boundary should be undertaken. External monitoring of these caves with bat detectors could determine their level of bat use. · The bat access points at the Ciliau need extending and improving.	core areas used report
D / 10 September 2002	von Martin Biedermann & Hartmut Geiger
In Thüringen wurden in diesem Sommer in 24 besetzten Wochenstubenquartieren gut 600 Alttiere mit über 260 Jungtieren der Kleinen Hufeisennase (Rhinolophus hipposideros) gezählt. Die grösste Wochenstube in der Kirche von Altenberga im Saaletal war mit 139 Alttieren und 66 Jungtieren besetzt. In dieser Saison konnten erfreulicherweise 5 neue Wochenstuben in Thüringen "entdeckt" werden, darunter eine grosse Überraschung: Am nördlichen Arealrand im Thüringer Kyffhäusergebirge konnte im Eingangsbereich einer Höhle im Gipskarst permanet eine unterirdisch lebende Wochenstube Kleiner Hufeisennasen beobachtet werden. Vermutlich kennen diese Tiere auch ein Gebäudequartier, welches jedoch noch unbekannt ist, aber in unmittelbarer Nähe liegen dürfte. Der detaillierte und schön gestaltete Bericht kann runtergeladen werden.	Foto (c) D. Nill Bericht (pdf, 433 KB)
F / 2 September 2002	von Jürgen Gebhard
Lebt die Mittelmeer-Hufeisennase (Rhinolophus euryale) in der Region Basel? Bei einem Besuch einer Kolonie Kleiner Hufeisennasen im Elsass (F) hat Dr. h.c. Jürgen Gebhard mit dem Bat-Detektor D 980 von Petterson in 10facher Zeitdehnung die Ortungssignale aufgezeichnet. Bei der Auswertung auf dem PC gab es eine Überraschung. Wie erwartet war der konstantfrequente (CF) Teil des Signals bei den Kleinen Hufeisennasen bei etwa 110 kHz ganz oben auf dem Sonagramm zu sehen. Darunter gab es aber Signal-Serien, die deutlich tiefer lagen, bei etwa 103 kHz. Solche Rufe liegen ausserhalb dem bekannten Variationsbereich der Kleinen Hufeisennase. In diesem Bereich ortet die etwas grössere Mittelmeer-Hufeisennase! Weitere Kontrollen sollen zeigen, wie diese Beobachtung einzustufen ist (mehr dazu auf www.fledermaus.ch des Vereins pro Chiroptera)	(c) Dr. h.c. J. Gebhard
ZW / 19 May 2002	by F. P. D. Cotterill
A new species of horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus sakejiensis, is described from south-central Africa, near the source of the Zambezi River in north-west Zambia. A distinct combination of noseleaf, cranial and baculum characters are diagnostic of the species. It is a member of the ferrumequinum group. Known only from high forest in West Africa, R. hillorum is the closest relative of R. sakejiensis collected in mesic savanna in south-central Africa. The contemporary taxonomy of Afrotropical Rhinolophus was incapable of accommodating this new taxon, and the latter part of this paper argues for a more objective characterization of rhinolophids as evolutionary species. J. Zool., Lond. 256(2):165-179.	full abstract... more references...
I / 1st March 2002	by Danilo Russo
Danilo Russo, Gareth Jones & Antonello Migliozzi (2002): Habitat selection by the Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in a rural area of southern Italy and implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 107: 71-81. We studied habitat selection by Rhinolophus euryale in a rural area of southern Italy in 1998–2000 by radio-tracking. Two comparisons were carried out, one between habitat occurrence within individual home ranges and within the study area, the other between time spent in each foraging habitat and habitat occurrence within the home range. The .rst analysis showed that olive groves and conifer plantations were, respectively, the most and the least important habitats. The second analysis highlighted the importance of woodland for R.euryale , while urban sites, open areas and conifer plantations were avoided. We recommend that clearing of continuous, large areas of woodland for tree harvesting should be avoided. Conifers should not be used for reforestation. Urbanisation should be limited in the areas of greatest importance for the species, and linear landscape elements such as tree lines and hedgerows should be maintained.	photo (c) D. Russo publication
D / 14 February 2002	by Martin Biedermann
Five female lesser horseshoe bats were radio-tracked in north-east Germany (Thüringen) in order to find suspected nursery roosts. The bats were trapped at caves between May and August and observed for 13 days. Two night roosts were found, but no nursery colony. The bats foraged within one kilometer to the roost, but suddenly disappeared from the study area. Foraging was restricted to blocks of broadleaf and conifer woodland and one bat was observed foraging in the crown of an oak tree in spring.	Bericht auf deutsch...
CH / September 2001
In western Switzerland (canton Vaud) a graveyard with more than 1300 sceletons of lesser horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros) was found in a cave. The objectives of an ongoing project are to attribute the bones to a time period by investigating the ground composition.	more in french... by Julien Oppliger
CH / 18 July 2001	von Alex Theiler
Alex Theiler hat einen überraschenden Fund im Kanton Obwalden gemacht: mit mehr als 260 ausfliegenden adulten Tieren die grösste Wochenstubenkolonie der Kleinen Hufeisennase der Schweiz.
6 July 2001
Beta version of www.rhinolophus.net online. Welcome! (more features, including pictures, will be added in the hibernation season ;-)
D / 18 June 2001	von Andreas Zahn
Die letzten Herbst gefundenen Kolonien in Aschau und Jachenau am Kochelsee bestätigen sich als Wochenstuben. Damit sind 3 Wochenstubenkolonien der Kleinen Hufeisennase in Bayern bekannt.
CH / 28 April 2001	by Fabio Bontadina
The research and conservation project Rhipposabout Rhinolophus hipposideros started in Switzerland. Three year studies in resource exploitation and population dynamics are planned, accompanied by a coordinated national monitoring and a public information campaign.	mehr... (in german)
UK / February 2001	by Henry Schofield
Furthest north record of a greater horseshoe bat for Wales. The bat was roosting in a mine which is also used by up to 28 lesser horseshoe bats and lies in a woodland at the northern end of the Conwy Valley. There have been no records of this species this far north and west.	more...

counter since July 2001:

/ webmaster