Doryrhina semoni (Matschie, 1903)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Hipposideridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 227-258 : 231

10.

Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bat

Doryrhina semoni

French: Phyllorhine de Semon / German: Semon-Rundblattnase / Spanish: Doryrina de Semon

Other common names: Semon's Roundleaf Bat

Taxonomy. Hipposideros semoni Matschie, 1903 ,

Cooktown, Queensland, Australia.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. E New Guinea and NE Australia, where it has been reported in several locations of coastal Queensland from the E side of Cape York Peninsula to S of Cooktown; S limit of its distribution is not clear, as there are acoustic reports from other distant areas, such as in the Kroombit Tops National Park.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 40-50 mm, tail 22-28 mm, ear 18-20 mm, hindfoot 7-12 mm, forearm 38-424 mm; weight 6—10 g. As in the case of Wollaston’s Leafnosed Bat (Z). wollastoni ) and the Fly River Leaf-nosed Bat ( D. muscinus ), Semon’s Leafnosed Bat presents two supplementary leaflets: anterior leaflet is short and broad and posterior leaflet extends beneath anterior leaf onto upper lip. It also presents processes in intermediate and posterior leaves. Median process of posterior leaf is large and club-shaped. Its ears are notably long and well developed with pointed tips, and its rostrum is markedly inflated. Its dark grayish pelage is long and presents a curled appearance, being paler on ventral area.

Habitat. Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bat is found in a wide variety of habitats, from rainforest to savanna forest and dry open areas, at elevations from the sea level up to 1400 m.

Food and Feeding. Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bat usually feeds on insects, especially moths; it also takes beetles, as well as spiders. It hunts prey from the ground, low vegetation or surfaces such as rocks or tree trunks. It has a slow flight, with considerable ability to maneuver, and usually flies within 1—2 m of the ground, foraging within dense vegetation and scrub.

Breeding. Females are probably mature in their first year, and give birth probably in early November. Each female produces a single young, but it is thought that in a few cases there may be twins. Generation length is estimated at 6-7 years.

Activity patterns. Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bat has been observed roosting in many different places such as in caves, mines, abandoned buildings, road culverts, fissures, and tree hollows. Some authors have suggested that this species is more tree-dweller than cave-dweller, inhabiting caves probably during the drier periods. Males and females have been suggested to have different echolocation call frequencies, being c.75 kHz and 95 kHz, respectively.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bats have been found roosting alone or in small aggregations. Movement patterns between roosts or habitats have not yet been studied. It may use vegetation strips in rainforests, following rivers and watercourses to move within large dense forest areas. Migration has not been reported.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCNRed List (as Hipposideros semoni ). Current population size and trends are unknown, but it is probably not greatly fragmented. Habitat loss and fragmentation might be threats for this species, although no major risks have been yet identified. Predation by feral cats has been reported and inappropriate fire management could also become a threat for this species in Australia. In fact, a Recovery Plan has been established for Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bats, as it is considered a threatened species under Australian legislation. In Papua New Guinea, it is probably widely distributed, as much intact habitat remains. However, it has been suggested that it may occur at low densities, as the species has not been captured or recorded in recent surveys. In addition, its echolocation call might be confused with those of other bat species, which could easily give an erroneous idea of its true range. More research is needed to study and assess its ecology and population status.

Bibliography. Armstrong & Aplin (2017f), Bonaccorso (1998), Churchill (1998), Coles (1993), Flannery & Colgan (1993), Hall (2008c), Oliveira & Schulz (1997), Vestjens & Hall (1977).

Figures

1. Arabian Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia arabica), 2. Somalian Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia italosomalica), 3. Patrizi’s Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia patrizii), 4. Geoffroy’s Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia tridens), 5. Greater Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina camerunensis), 6. Telefomin Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina corynophyllus), 7. Cyclops Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina cyclops), 8. Hill’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina edwardshilli), 9. Fly River Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina muscinus), 10. Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina semoni), 11. Northern Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina stenotis), 12. Wollaston’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina wollastoni), 13. Commerson’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Macronycteris commersonii), 14. Madagascar Cryptic Leaf-nosed Bat (Macronycteris cryptovalorona), 15. Giant Leaf-nosed Bat Macronycteris gigas rench: (Phyllorhine géante), 16. Sao Tome Leaf-nosed Bat Macronycteris thomensis rench: Phyllorhine de (Sao Tomé), 17. Striped Leaf-nosed Bat (Macronycteris vittatus), 18. Dong Bac Trident Bat (Aselliscus dongbacanus), 19. Stoliczka’s Trident Bat (Aselliscus stoliczkanus), 20. Temminck’s Trident Bat (Aselliscus tricuspidatus), 21. East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed (Bat Coelopsfrithii), 22. Malayan Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat (Coelops robinsoni), 23. Solomons Leaf-nosed Bat (Anthops omatus)

Distribution. E New Guinea and NE Australia , where it has been reported in several locations of coastal Queensland from the E side of Cape York Peninsula to S of Cooktown; S limit of its distribution is not clear, as there are acoustic reports from other distant areas, such as in the Kroombit Tops National Park.