Great horseshoe bat. Species: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum = Greater horseshoe bat. Chapter IX Kadashi Between Bolshaya Ordynka and Bolshaya Polyanka

In Russia in the area North Caucasus there are bats. One of the varieties bats is a large horseshoe bat.

Appearance

The length of the horseshoe bat reaches 10 cm, of which 3 cm is the tail, 7 cm is the body length itself. Weighs like this bat not much, on average 27 grams, but the wingspan for such a small mammal is quite impressive, reaching up to 40 cm.

The nose of the horseshoe bat has quite interesting shape, there are skin growths on it that resemble a horseshoe. Thanks to this shape of the nose, the great horseshoe bat got its name. The growths help create sounds.

Species of bats similar to the great horseshoe bat
Bats like the horseshoe bat can be found throughout the world. There are 80 varieties in total, but the territory European countries inhabited by only five species. The greater horseshoe bat and its varieties have a distinctive characteristic feature: During sleep, these bats use their wings as a blanket and wrap themselves in them.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The favorite habitats of the horseshoe bat are open areas with sparse trees and shrubs. The animal prefers to sleep in caves. In the summer, the horseshoe bat can make an exception when choosing a place to sleep and rest, for example, under the roof of a barn. Horseshoe bats hibernate in late autumn, when their body temperature drops and their heartbeat slows down. But, in case of alarm, horseshoe bats wake up quickly and easily.

Horseshoe bats prefer to get food for themselves at night. Their food is insects, mainly beetles. Having once outlined a night hunting route, horseshoe bats rarely change it afterwards. The animals catch insects with their teeth or use their membranous wings for this. For horseshoe bats, their wings are a kind of arms; they use them to send beetles straight into their mouths. Such bats eat small insects directly on the fly, and with insects large sizes a little more complicated, they eat them hanging on a tree branch. Thanks to skin growths on the nose, horseshoe bats can make sounds even while eating.

Horseshoe bats do not breed every year. Females reach sexual maturity only from two years of age, and sometimes by three years. Due to this circumstance, if places suitable for the horseshoe bat disappear, its numbers may decline sharply.

Large horseshoe bats usually mate in late autumn, before hibernation. Embryo development directly depends on temperature environment The warmer it is, the faster the embryo matures. In this regard, pregnant females unite into one colony. Only one individual is born. At first, horseshoe bat babies are completely blind and naked, but they grow so quickly that after they reach 22 days, they begin to fly. When the cubs are 30-40 days old, they can catch their own food and fly long distances.

People's responsibility

The population of bats, or more precisely great horseshoe bats, has decreased by 90% over the previous century, and continues to decline at the present time. Who is to blame for this? Of course, man. It's people who are to blame for the disappearance large quantity horseshoe bat habitats. The development of rural land at the beginning of the last century led to a decrease in the original appearance of fields and meadows. Toxic substances used in agriculture, destroy insects, and, as a result, bats that feed on them. All this led to the inclusion of great horseshoe bats on the list of endangered species of animals.

Features of the behavior of the great horseshoe bat

The main feature of the horseshoe bat is its active life at night. He flies out to hunt after dark, and returns back before dawn breaks. Therefore, directly seeing the flight of a horseshoe bat is a very rare sight. Cold nights are not an obstacle to the active night life of a bat. The ultrasonic signals of horseshoe bats are accessible to human hearing.

They rarely leave their young alone, as when left unattended they create a lot of noise and screaming, which can give away the hiding place of a bat colony.

When the horseshoe bat hibernates, it takes 10 breaths in one minute; just before it emerges from hibernation, their number per minute increases and reaches 200 breaths.

When a horseshoe bat flies, it detects ultrasonic waves by moving its ears 60 times per second.

Latin name: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Description of appearance:

The size of this horseshoe bat is the largest of all European species of this family. Body length 54-69 mm; 31.5-43 mm; ear 20.5-26 mm. Forearm 53.5-60.5 mm. The total length of the skull is 21.5-23.7 mm; candilobasal length 19.1-22 mm; zygomatic width 11-12.6 mm; interorbital space 2.4-3.2 mm; skull width 9.8-10.4 mm; length top row teeth 8-9.5 mm. The size variability of this bat species is almost similar to that of the horseshoe bat. Photo of the animal below

The color of the upper side of the body of the greater horseshoe bat varies from dark chocolate-fawn and smoky-brown (in the Caucasus) to pale smoky-fawn (in Central Asia). Base of dorsal hair White or whitish-fawn. The underside is light, ordinary whitish with a variably developed pale fawn or ash-gray bloom. The animals caught in July and August in Nagorno-Karabakh and Western Georgia have a peculiar thin pattern on the underside; Their single-colored white hair is mixed with two-colored hair and forms a characteristic ripple.

At the same time, the dark tips of the hair are located in places in the form of narrow transverse rows, and if you look at the lower side of the body from the side, then smoky-fawn stripes are caught against a light background. Individual and seasonal variability colors have not yet been studied enough, but in general outline it is apparently similar to other species. The pattern of geographic variability in size and color is close to the color of the small one, but is expressed even less clearly and constantly.

The size of the horseshoe is wide – 7.5-9.5 mm. The upper protrusion of the saddle is shortened, gently rounded. The low anterior lobe of the ear is separated from the outer edge by a rather narrow and deep notch.

The fourth metacarpal bone is one and a half millimeters shorter than the fifth and 2-4.5 mm longer than the third. The length of the first phalanx of the third finger is 1-2.5 mm greater than half the length of the second phalanx of the same finger.

There are 7-8 palatal folds. The first three (in the form of thick ridges open in the middle) are separated from each other by relatively wide intervals. All the rest are thinner, almost straight, close to each other and usually solid. The decrease in number from 8 to 7 is due to the reduction of not the last, but the sixth fold.

Great horseshoe bat(Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) has a large skull, relative to the size of the body, with a relatively small rounded brain capsule, a massive nasal region and a fairly wide interorbital space. The width between the outer sides of the upper canines is 6-7 mm. Bony cochleae are relatively small and fairly widely spaced. The large upper molar is closely adjacent to the canine tooth and is only in rare cases separated from it by a very narrow gap. In terms of the degree of specialization of the dental system (premolar teeth in particular), this animal has gone further than all other species.

Great horseshoe bat. Photo

Spreading:

Lives quite widely. Starting from Great Britain, Portugal and North Africa, its range extends through the mountains Central Europe, Balkans, Asia Minor, Crimea, Caucasus, Turkmenistan, Hissar-Alay and the Himalayas to Southern China and Japan.

Description of behavior and lifestyle:

Ecology. The shelters where these bats live are varied. On the plains of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the steppe Caspian coast of the Caucasus, the large horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) lives in old Mohammedan tombs, in abandoned dark stables and under the domes of a mosque, but is not found at all in loess and other types of caves. On the contrary, in the mountains of Kopet-Dag, Gissaro-Alai, the Caucasus, Crimea and Central Europe, he chooses caves, rock crevices and stone ruins for his daytime refuge. In Crimea, animals often live in caves far from the sea, and only accidentally fly into the coastal ones. Sometimes only 1 or 2 individuals (mostly males) appear in one place, although more often these bats form large colonies (up to 400-500 individuals), which include only adult females and young animals. In concentrations of these bats, individual animals or entire colonies of other species can be found. Animals of the described species, disturbed in a shelter, squeal or emit short metallic squeaks, flutter from place to place or fly out of the darkness of their shelter outside, even in the middle of a hot day with dazzling sunlight. First 5-10 days scared solitary big animals They usually do not return to their original refuge. Evening emergence in the Caucasus and Central Asia occurs later than in many other species. They eat like most of order - insects. Evening feeding lasts almost the entire first half of the night, then the animals rest, and before dawn they leave the shelter again. Feeding locations vary depending on specific conditions. So, in the steppe areas, these bats spread just above the ground; in the Surakhana Valley - they make regular flights along the upper edge of steep loess banks; in the mountains, a horseshoe bat flies through a dark, deep gorge.

Great horseshoe bat , like other horseshoe bats, has a characteristic leathery growth on the nose, similar to a horseshoe. It serves to transmit directional location signals.

Row - Chiroptera
Family - horseshoe bats
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Body length: 5.2-7.1 cm.
Tail length: 3.1-4.3 cm.
Wingspan: 34-40 cm.
Weight: 13-27 g.

Reproduction
Puberty: females - from 2-3 years, males - from 2 years.
Mating season: autumn and wintering.
Pregnancy: about 3 months.
Number of cubs: 1.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: sleeps and winters in colonies.
Food: moths, beetles.
Lifespan: about 30 years old.

Related species. There are about 80 species of horseshoe bats known in the world; 5 species live in Europe. There are about 80 species of horseshoe bats. One trait sets them apart from other bats: when they sleep, they curl their wings up instead of lining them along their body. Of all the bats, only some species of bats and horseshoe bats fall into hibernation.
Food. Large horseshoe bats feed on insects, mainly mole crickets and beetles, which are caught on heaps of humus. Since they are active at night, these bats fly out of their hiding places only after dark, that is, later than other types of bats. They have regular routes and feeding areas.
Like most insectivorous bats, greater horseshoe bats catch food with their teeth or using their membranous wings. They use their wings like hands and use them to guide insects directly into their mouths. Large prey Large horseshoe bats eat while hanging on a branch, small horseshoe bats eat while flying. Special shape The nose allows you to emit ultrasonic signals even while eating.
LIFESTYLE. The greater horseshoe bat is common in warm areas, mainly in open areas covered with sparse forests and groves. He rests in caves. For wintering, horseshoe bats look for a cave or mine with constant temperature 7-10 C. In summer, horseshoe bats sleep under the roofs of barns, on bell towers and in storage facilities. IN temperate climate animals winter in deep, ice-free and fairly humid caves. When a horseshoe bat hibernates, its body temperature drops and slows down. heartbeat However, when alarmed, he can easily wake up.

Reproduction. Adult animals do not reproduce annually, and females become sexually mature only from 2-3 years. Therefore, with intensive destruction of places suitable for their habitat, the number of the species can quickly decrease.
Mating occurs in the fall and for the winter. The timing of pregnancy depends on air temperature - the higher the temperature, the faster the embryo develops. Therefore, pregnant females form brood colonies.
Adult male horseshoe bats visit colonies to find a female that is ready to mate. Only one baby is born. Newborns are blind and naked.
The cubs grow quickly. At the age of 22 days they can already fly. At the age of 30-40 days they feed themselves and can go on long migrations.

Relationship with a person. It is humans who are responsible for the fact that the number of horseshoe bats is rapidly declining. Over the past 100 years the population has declined by more than 90%. The main reason for this phenomenon was the destruction of horseshoe bat habitats.
Intensive development of agriculture has led to a reduction in the number of virgin fields and meadows. Horseshoe bats are also at risk from the use of poisons in agriculture, especially biocides, which kill not only the insects, but also the bats that feed on them. Therefore, all horseshoe bats are included in the list of endangered species.
Horseshoe bat observations. The horseshoe bat is rarely seen in flight, as it flies out of its hiding place in the dark and returns before dawn. Horseshoe bats are active even on cold nights. You should not look for their shelter, as they do not tolerate noise well. These bats also make sounds that humans can hear. In their colonies, the noise is made by the cubs, who begin to scream loudly as soon as they are left alone.

Did you know… There are about 950 species of bats.
Chiropterans are the most numerous series of mammals, after rodents.
During wintering, the animal takes 10 breaths per minute. Shortly before waking up, the number of breaths increases to 200 per minute.
During flight, the horseshoe bat moves its ears 60 times per second to detect ultrasonic waves.
Lesser horseshoe bat, weighing only 3.6-8 g, is the smallest species of the family.
If you interrupt wintering, the animal will fully wake up in 50 minutes.
The great horseshoe bat is one of the most rare species bats of Central Europe.
Horseshoe bats send out 10 ultrasonic signals per second, other types of bats send up to 200 signals.
Characteristic features of horseshoe bats:
Nose: This is the most important organ of the location system. Ultrasound is released through the nose during flight. The direction of sound is changed by moving the nostrils rather than by turning the head.
Method of catching prey: The bat travels long distances in search of food. He searches for insects using a location system. Then it rushes down, chasing prey, makes a trap with its wings and grabs the insect with its mouth.
The nose has characteristic leathery growths. The middle fleshy part is like a horseshoe.

Location. From North Africa, Southern and Western Europe to the Himalayas, Korea and Japan. Lives in Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Borneo and Japan related species horseshoe bat.
Preservation. Despite protection, in some places this species is threatened with extinction.

Interesting video about great horseshoe bat

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• Class: Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 = Mammals
• Infraclass: Eutheria, Placentalia Gill, 1872 = Placentals, higher animals
• Order: Chiroptera Blumenbach, 1779 = Chiroptera
• Family: Rhinolophidae Lesson, 1827 = Horseshoe bats

Species: Greater horseshoe bat - Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum or the large horseshoe bat has a body weight of 13-27 g with a body length of 52-71 mm. The tail of the great horseshoe bat has a length of 31-43 mm, the forearm is 53-61 mm, and the wingspan is 35-40 cm. The connecting process has a rounded shape. The small premolar tooth of the upper jaw is very small and is literally forced out of the dentition.

The body color of the large horseshoe bat varies from light fawn (in individuals from Central Asia) to brownish-red (living in the Caucasus) and ash-gray (from the Far East). The abdomen of this horseshoe bat is colored slightly lighter than its upper dorsal side.

The range of the great horseshoe bat is quite extensive and extends to the west from the countries of North Africa, Southern and Western Europe; further along Western Asia and the foothills of the Pamirs, Himalayas and Tibet to Korea and Japan in the east. Only the northern edge of the range enters the territory of Russia. The large horseshoe bat was found in the North Caucasus from Krasnodar region to Dagestan. It is possible that the Japanese horseshoe bat Rhinolophus nippon (including mikadoi, etc.) represents separate species, known from Russia only in fossil form.

Within its range, the large horseshoe bat inhabits desert areas, where its habitats are confined to the foothills and low mountains and settlements, and deciduous forests and various cultivated landscapes. In the mountains, the great horseshoe bat is found up to altitudes of 3500 m above sea level. Usually it settles where there are shelters suitable for animals. His shelters are various caves, crevices in rocks, grottoes, dungeons, gullies in river cliffs, as well as attics of houses and other human buildings. The greater horseshoe bat often roosts in secluded areas along with other species of native bats. IN summer time Most males and young females stay alone or in small groups.

The large horseshoe bat flies out to hunt at dusk. Hunts near shelters, not high from the ground. The basis of its diet is large and medium-sized nocturnal insects (various types of cutworms, beetles, caddis flies, etc.). Their flight is quite slow and linear; they can use perches while feeding. The echolocation signals of the great horseshoe bat can be recorded mainly at a frequency of about 77-81 kHz.

The mating season and mating period occur in autumn and during wintering. Pregnancy in females lasts about 3 months. Brood colonies often number up to several hundred females (up to 200-500 individuals), and males stay apart during this period. The female gives birth to one calf at the end of June. Babies feed on mother's milk for about 2 months, and then begin to lead an independent lifestyle.

Large horseshoe bats overwinter mainly in the same place where reproduction occurs, alone or in groups of 5-15 individuals of both sexes. It is possible that some individuals are associated with only one shelter throughout their entire lives. Some individuals from places unsuitable for wintering may migrate to more southern areas. Horseshoe bats winter in caves, adits and dungeons, where the air temperature never drops below several degrees Celsius.

A large horseshoe bat lives up to about 30 years. High mortality is observed in the first year of life, primarily during wintering.

The number of large horseshoe bats on the territory of Russia can be approximately estimated at no more than several tens of thousands of individuals. The open location of brood colonies, together with low fertility, leads to high sensitivity of animals to increased disturbance factors. The development of caving tourism has a negative impact. The great horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, although widespread, is in some places a vulnerable species, therefore, as a rare species in Russia, it is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. The Greater Horseshoe Bat is included in the IUCN Red List-96n; IUCN status: "LR: cd".

Large horseshoe bats have taken root well in Krasnodar region and Dagestan. In addition, they live in Western Europe, North Africa and Japan. Within their range, the animals inhabit desert areas confined to low mountains, foothills and populated areas, deciduous forests, as well as various cultivated landscapes. They usually settle in shelters suitable for life: crevices in rocks, caves, dungeons, grottoes, gullies in river cliffs, in the attics of houses and other human buildings. Very often, horseshoe bats share these secluded places with other species of bats.

In the summer, mice live mostly alone or in small groups, leading night look life, and rest during the day. During rest, the animals hang head down, wrapping themselves in wings, like a cloak, and with the help of tenacious claws they firmly hold on to the support. At dusk, large horseshoe bats fly out to hunt. They hunt low from the ground, near their shelters. The basis of their diet consists of nocturnal insects - these are different kinds cutworms, butterflies, beetles, caddis flies, etc. The animals find food using a sound echo sounder, easily identifying places where large insects gather. During feeding, their flight is rather slow, silent and straight.

In October, horseshoe bats go into hibernation. At this time, their body temperature decreases, and in a state of torpor, mice spend several months in secluded places where the air temperature is 7-10°C. Males winter together with young ones, in groups of 5-15 individuals, but separately from females with cubs. If the winter weather is warm enough for insects to appear, the animals interrupt their hibernation with short awakenings and can hunt. Full awakening occurs in April, when the air warms up above 15 degrees.

Mating in great horseshoe bats occurs in the fall on wintering grounds, however ovum does not develop until spring. Pregnancy in females lasts almost 3 months. The only cub is born in June or July. On the 7th day of birth, his eyes open, and by 3-4 weeks of life the baby already begins to fly. It becomes independent at 2 months of age, sexually mature only at 3 years of age, but often females do not mate until 5 years of age. The highest mortality rate among young animals is observed in the first year of life, especially during long wintering periods.

In natural natural conditions The lifespan of a large horseshoe bat is about 20 years. It tolerates captivity well, but cases of reproduction in this situation are unknown. And although the animals are not in danger of completely disappearing from the face of the Earth, the great horseshoe bat is listed in the Red Book of Russia as a rare species on the territory of the Russian Federation, with category 3 (protected) status. In Austria and western Germany, these bats are now in danger of extinction. Big number animals die from pesticide poisoning, feeding on poisoned insects.