Rhinolophus celebensis K. Andersen 1905

56. Sulawesi Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus celebensis

French: Rhinolophe des Célèbes / German: Sulawesi-Hufeisennase / Spanish: Herradura de Célebes

Taxonomy. Rhinolophus celebensis K. Andersen, 1905,

“ Makassar, S[outh]. Celebes [= Sulawesi],” Indonesia.

Included in the megaphyllus species group. R celebensis has often been considered a subspecies or even a synonym of R bomeensis; the two are morphologically very similar but are treated as distinct species on the basis of small morphological differences. This species previously included R madurensis, but the two are now considered distinct on limited morphological grounds; further research is needed. Genetic studies with limited taxon sampling place R celebensis as sister to a clade that includes R virgo, R megaphyllus, and R philippinensis. Two subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

R c. celebensis K. Andersen, 1905 - Sangihe I, Talaud Is (Karakelong), Sulawesi (including Kabaena and Buton Is), and Tukangbesi Is (Wangi Wangi and Kaleudupa).

R c. javanicus K. Andersen, 1918 - Krakatau, Java, Bali, and Kangean Is; a record from Sepanjan I needs confirmation.

Either this species or the Bornean Horseshoe Bat (. bomeensis) was recently captured in Lampung Province, Sumatra, but in that study the two species were not differentiated.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 46-8-48- 9 mm, tail 18- 9-27 mm, ear 14- 6-20 mm, hindfoot 7-1-8- 1 mm, forearm 36-45- 6 mm; weight 4-5-8- 4 g. Dorsal pelage is uniformly dull brown to dark brown, being drabber than paler venter. Ears range from small to medium in size. Noseleaf has nearly parallel-sided lancet; connecting process is rounded and is sparsely covered in short hairs; sella is nearly parallel-sided to slightly constricted; horseshoe is relatively narrow (7-1-8- 4 mm wide), has shallow median emargination, and has lateral leaflets that are concealed from above. Lower lip has three mental grooves. Skull is of medium build, with zygomatic width greater than mastoid width; anterior median swellings are moderately developed; posterior swellings are comparatively well inflated; sagittal crest is moderately developed; frontal depression is moderately developed; supraorbital crest is conspicuous. P2 is moderately developed and within tooth row; P3 is small and displaced halfway, barely separating P2 from P4.

Habitat. Reported from primary and secondary tropical forest, and recorded at elevations from sea level up to 600 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Females with swollen nipples and males with enlarged testes were captured in November in Sulawesi.

Activity patterns. The Sulawesi Horseshoe Bat apparently roosts in caves.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There are reports of Sulawesi Horseshoe Bats roosting in colonies with hundreds of individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN ed List. The Sulawesi Horseshoe Bat is widespread and common throughout its distribution but virtually nothing is known of its ecology or potential threats. It is apparently one of the commonest bats in Sulawesi. Further studies are needed.

Bibliography. Bergmans & Rozendaal (1982), Csorba et al. (2003), Hill & Rozendaal (1989), Huang, J.C.C. et al. (2014), Hutson, Suyanto & Kingston (2008 b), Patterson et al. (2017), Wiantoro et al. (2017), Zhang Lin et al. (2018).