Peninsular horseshoe bat

The peninsular horseshoe bat was first described as a new species by Knud Andersen in 1918, which he placed in the megaphyllus species group.^[2] It was often considered a synonym or subspecies of the smaller horseshoe bat, but genetic and morphological data suggests it should be treated as a distinct species.^[3]

The peninsular horseshoe bat is a small to medium-sized horseshoe bat, with a head to body length of 47–55 mm, a forearm length of 40–46 mm and a weight ranging 6 to 13 grams.^[3] The ears are large, measuring from 16 to 23 mm, tapered at the ends, and have an antitragus although lacking a tragus, which is typical for horseshoe bats. As with other rhinolophids, the complex shape of the nose-leaf adorned with intricate folds and furrows is thought to aid in shaping and modifying its echolocation calls. The echolocation calls range from 64 to 68 kHz.^[3]

This species occurs in mixed pristine deciduous forests and lowland dipterocarp forests in Thailand, and in Malaysia it is mostly found in lowland and hill forests.^[1] It likely primarily roosts in small groups, and has been found to roost in crevices in rocks and in palms in the forest understory.^[4] Little is known about its ecology overall.

The peninsular horseshoe bat is a rare species, being infrequently recorded in its respective range. Attempts of capturing the species around disturbed habitats in Thailand have had no success.^[1] The IUCN Red List classifies this species as Near Threatened due to its dependence on forests and widespread habitat degradation through most of its range, which is a major threat to the species. It has been extirpated from its type locality in Surat Thani province, although some populations still occur in protected areas in Thailand and Malaysia.^[1]