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Blasius's horseshoe bat
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
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 insectivorous bat in the family Rhinolophidae found throughout large parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa.

Taxonomy

Blasius's horseshoe bat was described as a new species in 1866 by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters. The holotype had been collected in Italy.^[2] The eponym for the species name "blasii" was German zoologist Johann Heinrich Blasius.^[3]

Description

Individuals have forearm lengths of 43–48 mm (1.7–1.9 in) and weigh 7–13 g (0.25–0.46 oz), making it small for an African horseshoe bat.^[2]

Biology and ecology

Blasius's horseshoe bat is insectivorous, consuming moths, termites, beetles, and flies, among other kinds. It hunts for its prey by hawking, or catching insects on the wing, or gleaning, which means plucking insects off foliage or the ground. Its social behaviors are poorly understood, but it will roost singly or in small groups. Group foraging consisting of up to five individuals has been reported in Malawi. They have one annual breeding season, and females give birth to a single young.^[2]

Range and habitat

Blasius's horseshoe bat has been documented at a range of elevations from 0–2,215 m (0–7,267 ft) above sea level. It has a large geographic range, though its populations are patchily distributed. Its range includes Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is extinct in Italy, and possibly extinct in Slovenia. Its habitat includes deserts, savannas, shrublands, and forests.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Taylor, P. (2016). "Rhinolophus blasii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19515A21972073. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T19515A21972073.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Happold, M. (2013). Kingdon, J.; Happold, D.; Butynski, T.; Hoffmann, M.; Happold, M.; Kalina, J. (eds.). Mammals of Africa. Vol. 4. A&C Black. pp. 312–313. ISBN 9781408189962.
^ Peters, W. (1866). "Über einige neue oder weniger bekannte Flederthiere" [About some new or lesser known bats]. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussische Akademie des Wissenschaften zu Berlin (in German). 1866: 17.