Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

The Lesser Horseshoe Bat is a small bat with a unique horseshoe-shaped nose. They are great at flying in the dark and love to eat tiny insects. These bats help keep our environment healthy!

Habitat: Forests

Appearance

The Lesser Horseshoe Bat has soft, fluffy fur that is grey-brown on its back and lighter on its belly. Its most distinctive feature is a complex, horseshoe-shaped nose leaf, which looks like a small, intricate radar dish on its face. It is one of the smallest bats in Europe, barely larger than a golf ball.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassMammaliaOrderChiropteraFamilyRhinolophidaeGenusRhinolophus

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Interesting facts

Baby Lesser Horseshoe Bats are called "pups" and cling tightly to their mothers after birth.

These tiny flyers can live surprisingly long, sometimes for over 30 years in the wild!

They wrap their wings around themselves like a cozy cape when they are sleeping or resting!

This bat's unique nose is shaped like a horseshoe and helps it make its special sounds!

Special abilities

Lesser Horseshoe Bat can navigate dark caves and catch tiny flying insects using high-pitched sounds and listening for the echoes.

Lesser Horseshoe Bat has a unique slow and fluttery flight that helps it pluck insects directly from leaves or the air.

Lesser Horseshoe Bat can slow its heart rate and lower its body temperature to save energy during cold months when food is scarce.

Measurements & details

Length: 3.5-4.5 cm
Wingspan: 20-25 cm
Weight: 0.005-0.009 kg
Lifespan: 4-30 years
Top Speed: 25 km/h
Litter Size: 1
Gestation: 70-80 days

Diet & Feeding

These bats are insect-eating experts, gobbling up small flying bugs!

Primary Foods

moths
midges
mosquitoes
caddisflies
small beetles

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

An occasional predator, especially of young bats.

eaten by

Domestic Cat

Felis catus

Can prey on bats found near human settlements.

hunts

Silver Y moth

Autographa gamma

A common nocturnal moth often caught by the bat.

hunts

Common Midge

Chironomus plumosus

Feeds on these small flying insects near water.

Traits

Furry

Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Echolocation

Echolocation is a biological sonar used by animals to navigate, hunt, and communicate by emitting sound waves and interpreting the echoes.

Forest

Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

Hibernating

Hibernating animals enter a state of metabolic depression during cold periods or when food is scarce, characterized by reduced body temperature and activity.