Rhinolophus hildebrandtii Peters 1878

This species was recorded at eight sites in southern, central and northern Mozambique. A large colony was discovered in a cave system in the Cheringoma plateau (Appendix I). Peak echolocation frequencies ranged between 35–40 kHz (ANABAT, Pettersson D240x, n = 15). Variable peak echolocation frequencies for R. hildebrandtii populations have previously been recorded in Southern Africa (Monadjem et al., 2010). For example, calls recorded in South Africa have intermediate peak frequencies of ≈ 33 kHz at Sudwala caves and ≈ 44 kHz at Pafuri, in the Kruger National Park (Schoeman and Jacobs, 2008; M. C. Schoeman, unpublished data). At Lutope Gorge, just south of Sengwa in Zimbabwe, 17 individuals with peak frequencies of ≈ 37 kHz and one with 46 kHz were captured and recorded (Taylor et al., 2005). Based on the analysis of two mtDNA genes (cytochrome b and control region), two divergent lineages of R. hildebrandtii are present in Mozambique (referred to as Clade1 and Clade 2 in Table 2), one comprising smaller-sized individuals occurring in savanna habitats at lower elevations (Namapa, Niassa Game Reserve, Gerhard’s Cave — Clade 2) and another comprising large-sized individuals from montane habitats (Mounts Mabu and Inago — Clade 1) (P. J. Taylor, S. Stoffberg, A. Monadjem, F. P. D. Cotterill, and M. C. Schoeman, unpublished data). These two forms are morphologically distinct as shown by the non-overlap between them in most cranial measurements (Table 2).

Field measurements: For the low elevation taxon, FA (adult male) 63.3 ± 1.40 (60.1–65.2, 12); Bm (adult male) 30.9 ± 2.57 (28.0–34.5, 12); FA (adult female) 62.2 ± 2.16 (59.6–64.6, 4); Bm (adult female) 27.88 ± 5.04 (23.5–34.0, 4). Mean nose-leaf width was 14.36 ± 0.49 for males (n = 12) and 14.35 ± 0.72 for the females (n = 4). For two females from Mounts Mabu and Inago (montane form), mean FA was 67.5 (66–69) mm. Nose-leaf width for these two females was 15.0 and 15.1 mm.