37. Hill’s Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hilli

French: Rhinolophe de Hill / German: Hill-Hufeisennase / Spanish: Herradura de Hill

Taxonomy. Rhinolophus hilli Aellen, 1973,

“ Uwinka, Prefecture]. Cyangugu, Rwanda, alt. 2300 m.”

Rhinolophus hilli is in the maclaudi species group and was considered a subspecies of R maclaudi and subsequently R ruwenzorii. Recent morphological studies support its recognition as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. SW Rwanda in Uwinka and Ruta Bansugera in Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 62- 7 mm, tail 29' 3 mm, ear 28- 7 mm, hindfoot 12- 2 mm, forearm 54- 2 mm and 54- 3 mm; weight 16- 5 g (all measurements from one specimen except forearm which refers to two). Dorsal and ventral pelage is dark brown. There is no known orange morph. Males lack axillary tufts. Ears are of medium length (c.53% of forearm length), with nine internal folds, and very large antitragus. Noseleaf has subtriangular lancet that is conspicuously taller than sella; connecting process is largely reduced, low, and concave, leaving large depression between sella and lancet; sella is naked, upright, and about parallel to lancet, having concave sides and distinctly broadened and rounded spoon-shaped top; narial lobes at base of sella are very enlarged, forming nearly circular cup; nostrils are bordered by semicircular raised rims that are parallel to inner cup; and horseshoe is of medium width at c. 12 mm, covers muzzle, has lateral leaflets, and has conspicuous median emargination. Lower lip has conspicuous medial groove and two indistinct lateral grooves. Wings and uropatagium are dark gray. Skull is large and slender, with weak zygomatic arches (zygomatic width is slightly less than mastoid width); nasal swellings are high domed, with roughly circular chambers when viewed dorsally; frontal depression is very deep; sagittal crest is moderately developed anteriorly and weakly developed posteriorly; and interpterygoid groove is very deep. P2 is small and completely displaced labially; C1 and P4 nearly touch; P3 is small and slightly to completely displaced labially; and P2 and P4 do not touch.

Habitat. Montane tropical moist forest at elevations of 1750-2512 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Holotype of Hill’s Horseshoe Bat was a pregnant female collected in late August.

Activity patterns. Hill’s Horseshoe Bats likely roost in caves.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN ed List. Hill’s Horseshoe Bat is known from only two specimens collected in a region seriously affected by civil war. It is probably threatened by general habitat loss, roost destruction, and possibly use as bushmeat. It is found in Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Bibliography. ACR (2018), Csorba et al. (2003), Fahr (2010, 2013e), ahr et al. (2002), Kerbis Peterhans et al. (2013), Smith & Hood (1980).