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  3. Lesser Horseshoe Bat

One of the 29 bats on WAnimals

Mammals · Chiroptera · Rhinolophidae

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.

Spotted something wrong?

The smallest horseshoe bat of the Palaearctic, with large ears lacking a tragus and a horseshoe-shaped nose leaf that it uses to direct its echolocation. At rest it wraps itself completely in its wing membrane, hanging like a small sack.

Weight

4 g – 9 g

Size

3.6 cm – 4.5 cm

Life expectancy

4 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

No global numerical estimate. In Andalusia it has been found in 96 of the roosts occupied by bats, 39.3% of the total

46countries111parks1same family

Fun facts

  • Unlike almost every other bat, it does not share its roost with other species in the breeding season: it is the least gregarious of the horseshoe bats.
  • It echolocates at a very high frequency, between 105 and 116 kHz, far above human hearing.
  • It hangs very exposed from the roofs of its roosts, which makes it particularly vulnerable to vandalism and to unintentional disturbance.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat and environment
Natural and artificial caves, mines and buildings, almost always near water and associated with scrub and small patches of woodland. From sea level up to about 2,000 m
Sexual maturity
Females are fertile from their second year
Litter / clutch size
A single young a year, at around the month of June
Life expectancy in captivity
A Polish individual was recaptured 21 years and 3 months after it was ringed

Sources consulted: IUCN Red List (e.T19518A21972794); SECEM - Atlas de los mamíferos terrestres de España; MITECO - Inventario Español de Especies Terrestres; Ratpenats.org; Red Natura 2000 Cantabria (ficha 1303)

Where to find it

Best time: From spring to autumn; it leaves its roosts very early, shortly after sunset

Loading map…

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 111.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Lesser Horseshoe Bat — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Same taxonomic family
Shares a park
Shares a park
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Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about lesser horseshoe bat.

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See full glossary
This page in other languages: Español · Deutsch · Français · Português · Italiano

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

See its range on the interactive map→
Snowdonia (Eryri)United Kingdom
KillarneyIreland
Picos de EuropaSpain
Ordesa y Monte PerdidoSpain
Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant MauriciSpain
Peneda-GeresPortugal
Abruzzo, Lazio and MoliseItaly
Alta MurgiaItaly
Mount OlympusGreece
PlitviceCroatia
See all 111 parks
Greater Horseshoe BatLeast Concern

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Least Concern

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Least Concern

Common Noctule

Nyctalus noctula

Least Concern

Greater Mouse-eared Bat

Myotis myotis

Least Concern

Serotine

Eptesicus serotinus

Natterer's BatLeast Concern

Natterer's Bat

Myotis nattereri

CountriesSpain
ParksSnowdonia (Eryri)United Kingdom
TagsInsectivore
Insectivore
Nocturnal
Colonial
Mammal

Europe40

Asia5

Africa1

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