Bornean woolly horseshoe bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bornean woolly horseshoe bat |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Rhinolophus
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| Species: |
proconsulis
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| Synonyms | |
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The Bornean woolly horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus proconsulis) is a type of horseshoe bat. It is an endangered animal found on the island of Borneo. This bat was first discovered in 1959. However, scientists did not realize it was a unique species until 2013.
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About the Bornean Woolly Horseshoe Bat
How it Got its Name
This bat was first described in 1959. It was thought to be a subspecies of another bat, the arcuate horseshoe bat. It was named Rhinolophus arcuatus proconsulis. The scientist who named it, John Edwards Hill, noticed it was similar to R. arcuatus but had a larger body and skull.
Later, in 2013, scientists studied these bats more closely. They found that the bats on Borneo were actually a completely different species. They gave it the new name R. proconsulis. The name proconsulis comes from a Latin word meaning "a man who became governor." Hill chose this name to honor the governor's office in Sarawak, a part of Borneo.
What Does it Look Like?
The fur on the bat's back is dark brown. The hair near its skin is grayish. Its belly fur is a pale brown color. This bat has a forearm length of about 46.8 to 48.3 millimeters (about 1.8 to 1.9 inches). Its special nose-leaf, which helps it use echolocation, is about 9.3 to 9.7 millimeters (about 0.36 to 0.38 inches) long.
Where it Lives and Its Home
This bat has been found in nine different places across Borneo. These places include six caves in Sarawak, Malaysia, two spots in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and one place in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
During the day, the Bornean woolly horseshoe bat rests in limestone caves. It prefers living in caves, which is different from its relative, the arcuate horseshoe bat, which lives in forests.
Why This Bat Needs Our Help
The Bornean woolly horseshoe bat is currently listed as endangered by the IUCN. This means it is at a high risk of disappearing forever.
Its cave homes in Borneo are threatened by several things. People sometimes disturb the caves by collecting guano (bat droppings) for fertilizer. Ecotourism can also bother the bats if not managed carefully. Also, people collect nests from edible-nest swiftlets, which can disturb the caves where bats live.
Outside the caves, the bat's hunting grounds are shrinking. Large farms for palm oil and cocoa are replacing the forests where these insect-eating bats find their food. Protecting their caves and their foraging areas is very important for their survival.
