Morphological description Life history Distribution Habitat Roost sites and roosting patterns Emergence and flight pattern Foraging behaviour Echolocation calls Status and protection

Morphological Description

· Dorsal fur is dark brown with a reddish tinge. Ventral fur is greyer.

· Forearm length 41.00-48.00mm. (Csorba et al., 2003). Bats that we captured in China had forearm lengths 43.8-47.1 mm (n = 6)..

· Ears long: 24-28mm in Chinese bats.

· The horseshoe is wide, covering the muzzle and has a narrow but deep anterior emargination. The sella is large, broad and slightly higher than wide. The internarial region is greatly expanded, with its edges forming a distinctive wing-shaped structure joined to the base of the sella. The lancet is low, triangular and has a rounded tip. (Csorba et al., 2003).

The bats that we captured in Yunnan were the first ones recorded in China.

Life history

· Little known

Distribution

Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and northern Malaysia (Csorba et al. 2003).

In 2003 we captured 6 bats at several small caves near Mile in Yunnan. These are the only records for China.

Habitat

· Little known. Csorba et al . (2003) note that this species is found in dry deciduous and bamboo forests in Thailand, and that it is associated with limestone areas.

Roost sites and roosting behaviour

· Generally roosts in caves and mines. Usually found in small numbers.

· This species often shares cave roosts with other bat species.

Emergence and flight pattern

· Most rhinolophid bats have wing shapes that make them adept at foraging in cluttered environments.

Foraging behaviour

· Not known.

Echolocation calls

The echolocation call is a long constant frequency signal, with a brief frequency-modulated start and tail. Frequencies with most energy recorded from hand-held bats ranged between 39.2-41.6 kHz.

Status and protection

· There is no estimation of population size in China.

· Marshall's horseshoe bats are LR/near threatened, assessed by the Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2006): the species is only known from about 13 localities in south-east Asia, and its biology is little understood. The species is not listed in the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife in 1989.

· Caves and forests should be protected as important habitats.

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