Hipposideros hypophyllus Kock & Bhat 1994

75.

Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat

Hipposideros hypophyllus

French: Phyllorhine du Kolar / German: Kolar-Rundblattnase / Spanish: Hiposidérido de Kolar

Other common names: Kolar Roundleaf Bat, Leafletted Leaf-nosed Bat

Taxonomy. Hipposideros hypophyllus Kock & Bhat, 1994,

“Hanumanahalli village, 15 km E of Kolar Town, 13°09’N- 78°07’E, Kolar District]., Bangalore Region, Karnataka, India.”

Hipposideros hypophyllus was previously included in the bicolor species group, but its position in the phylogeny is unclear and its taxonomy requires further study. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to S India (Kolar district, Karnataka), known only from type locality. Previously also on nearby Therahalli, where now absent.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 40-9—41-7 mm, tail 23-3-24-3 mm, ear 16-7-17-7 mm, hindfoot 6-7-6-9 mm, forearm 38-49 mm. Ears of the Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat are broad. Noseleaf has two lateral supplementary leaflets. Anterior leaf is smoothly rounded, with no emargination. Intemarial septum is broader at base and forms a narrow triangle at tip. Dorsal pelage is grayish brown or rufous brown; ventral area is white to fulvous-white. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 32 and FN = 60.

Habitat. Tropical dry shrubland near villages and agricultural fields. The Kolar Leafnosed Bat can be found at elevations of up to 570 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Pregnant and lactating females were found in late summer.

Activity patterns. The Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat was documented to accumulate fat in winter, suggesting it may use torpor in colder months. Entire known population of this species roosts in a narrow, inaccessible, subterranean cave on a monolithic granite hill. Echolocation call frequency is 103-105 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat shares roosts with Durga Das’s Leaf-nosed Bats (H. durgadasi), Fulvus Leaf-nosed Bats {H. fulvus), and Schneider’s Leaf-nosed Bats (H. speoris).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on IUCNRed List. The Kolar Leaf-nosed Bat is very rare and found in only one cave, with a population of less than 200 individuals. The major threat is habitat loss due to granite mining.

Bibliography. Chakravarty et al. (2016), Kock & Bhat (1994), Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu & Kaur (2016), Srinivasulu, Srinivasulu, Kaur, Shah et al. (2014).