Rhinolophus beddomei beddomei, K. Andersen, 1905

Srinivasulu, Aditya, Srinivasulu, Bhargavi, Kusuminda, Tharaka, Amarasinghe, Chamara, Ukuwela, Kanishka D. B., Karunarathna, Mathisha, Mannakkara, Amani, Yapa, Wipula B. & Srinivasulu, Chelmala, 2023, Taxonomic status of the Lesser Woolly Horseshoe bats (Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae Rhinolophus beddomei) in peninsular India and Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 5301 (2), pp. 199-218 : 207-211

Rhinolophus beddomei beddomei

Rhinolophus beddomei Andersen 1905 , Wynaad, Madras (= Kerala), India.

Lesser Woolly Horseshoe Bat.

External characters: A large-sized Rhinolophid belonging to trifoliatus group, with an average forearm length of 63.19 ± 2.63 mm. Fur dense and woolly, dark grey in colour with pale hair tips. The hair is very densely arranged on the body both dorsally and ventrally. The extent of fur is little beyond the body and extends sparsely on to the interfemoral on the dorsal surface. Hair is seen on either side of the legs just above the knee area to upper half of the tibia. Ears tall (28.98 ± 2.04 mm) and broad with a pointed tip. Antitragus broad and tall and is half the height of the pinna. Ear has 12 ridges. Long dense hair covers half the pinna, the distal half has scattered hair and the extreme tip is devoid of any hair. A concavity is observed on the outer border just below the tip ( Fig. 5a ). Only one mental groove on the lower lip is seen ( Fig. 5b ). The horseshoe is about 4 mm broad and covers the whole of the muzzle completely. The median emargination is about 3 mm deep but does not divide the horseshoe into two. The outer borders of the horseshoe are wavy. Nostrils are large and teardrop shaped and placed very close to each other. The posterior borders of the internarial cup are upturned due to large size and placement of the nostrils ( Fig. 5d ). The base of the sella extends on either side and forms the basal lappets which are large and circular and hang over the internarial cup and the distal half of the narial openings. The sella forms a complex structure when viewed laterally and overhangs the internarial cup ( Fig. 5e ). The inferior extremity of the sella is concave and slightly wavy. The sella is small about 40% the height of the lancet, has a broad base and is narrow distally ( Fig. 5c ). The superior connecting process of the sella broadly rounded off. The lancet is about 4 mm tall and ends with a narrowly rounded tip. In the wing the third metacarpal is shorter than the fourth metacarpal and the fifth metacarpals (42.71 ± 0.78 mm vs 50.38 ± 2.11 mm and 49.87 ± 1.99 mm). The first and the second phalanges are 57.57% and 76.75% of the third metacarpal respectively. Penis is thick, short and has a groove just below its tip, which is broadly rounded off ( Fig. 5f ). The wing membranes essentially naked with sparse and scattered hair. On the ventral surface the membranes have scattered sparse hair. Face and noseleaf very hairy. Feet hairy and large. Wings attached to the base of the first toe and the interfemoral membrane is attached to the ankle ( Fig. 5g ).

Colouration (live): In the live condition the fur is woolly, long and the colour is dark grey to black with paler hair tips ( Fig. 6a ).

Craniodental characters: Skull is long, narrow and robust (GTL: 28.12 ± 0.43 mm; CCL: 24.01 ± 0.47 mm) ( Fig. 7a ). Rostrum is elevated and has nasal swellings located medially on the rostrum. The sagittal crest is well developed and joins the supraorbital processes just behind the rostrum to form a deep supraorbital depression. The sagittal crest extends up to the parietal region of the skull. The lambdoid crests are not well developed. The sagittal crest and the rostrum are of the same height ( Fig. 7b ). Zygoma are robust, well developed and flared (ZB: 14.06 ± 0.56 mm); a triangle shaped dorsal arch seen on each zygoma ( Fig. 7c ). The upper tooth row (CM 3) averages 10.50 ± 0.38 mm. The second upper premolar (PM 2) is small, present in the tooth row, and located between the canine and the fourth upper premolar (PM 4). In comparison to PM 4, PM 2 seems minute and is situated between the canine and the PM 4. The PM 2 is in contact with the canine and is almost touching PM 4 ( Fig. 7d ). The fourth premolar is about three quarters the height of the robust canine. M 1 and M 2 are of the same size. M 3 is three quarters the size of M 2 but lacks the metastyle portion of the molar. Two pairs of tricuspidate mandibular incisors are present. The lower canines are slender than the upper. The canine shows a slight concavity on the posterior border ( Fig. 7e, f ). The second lower premolar (PM 2) is about 66% the height of the fourth premolar (PM 4). The third lower premolar (PM 3) is minute and is in the tooth row in some specimens resulting in a gap between PM 2 and PM 4 and in some slightly extruded from the tooth row resulting in PM 2 and PM 4 almost touching. M 1 and M 2 equal in size, M 3 slightly smaller than M 2. The talonoid of M 3 is broader than the trigonid, and the entoconid less developed ( Fig. 7f ).

Baculum: The baculum of R. b. beddomei is long, measuring 5.8 mm, comprise a narrow distal shaft and a thick triangular base (2.2 mm wide) with a deep median groove ( Fig. 8a ). The shaft ends with a narrowly rounded tip. The base has a clear sulcus just above the median groove ( Fig. 8b ). The distal end of the shaft possesses a ridge-like protuberance towards the tip of the shaft on the ventral surface ( Fig. 8c ).

Ecology: The Lesser Woolly Horseshoe Bat has been observed to roost solitary or in pairs, often mothers with pups have been observed to roost together. Roosting sites include old dilapidated buildings, temples, abandoned wells, tree hollows, old forts near the proximity of forested areas and caves. It has been observed with one pup and has been also observed to become inactive, tightly wrapping itself with its wings during winter season and sharing its roost with other Rhinolophid species.

Distribution: The Lesser Woolly Horseshoe Bat is endemic to India, and is distributed in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.

Figures

FIGURE 5. External features of Rhinolophus b. beddomei [a—frontal view of noseleaf; b—lateral view of noseleaf depicting the sella; c—frontal view of head and ventral view of the sella; d—structure of the ear; e—closeup of the lower lip showing one mental groove; f—frontal view of penis; g—hind foot].

FIGURE 6. Coloration of dorsal fur (in live condition) of a—Rhinolophus b. beddomei and b—R. b. sobrinus.

FIGURE 7. Skull and mandible of Rhinolophus b. beddomei [a—dorsal view of skull; b—lateral view of skull; c—frontal view of skull; d—ventral view of skull; e—dorsal view of mandible; f—lateral view of mandible; g—frontal view of mandible; Scale: 5 mm].

FIGURE 8. Baculum structure of Rhinolophus b. beddomei [a—dorsal view; b—ventral view; c—lateral view; Scale: 1 mm].