Chinese rufous horseshoe bat


The Chinese rufous horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in China, India, Nepal, and Vietnam.
The species is most easily confused with R. affinis, from which it is best distinguished by its straight-sided lancet and the relatively short second phalanx of the third digit.

Subspecies

Rhinolophus sinicus is divided into the following two subspecies:
The Chinese rufous horseshoe bat has a forearm length of. It has an ear length of and a tail length of. Overall, it is considered a medium-sized horseshoe bat. It is similar in appearance to the rufous horseshoe bat, though with longer wings. While also similar to Thomas's horseshoe bat, it is slightly larger. The fur on its back is bicolored: the basal two-thirds of individual hairs are brownish-white, while the tips of the hairs are reddish brown. Its belly fur is paler in color and is brownish-white.

Biology and ecology

The Chinese rufous horseshoe bat is a social animal, forming colonies of a few individuals up to several hundred. During the reproductive season, the sexes segregate, with females forming maternity colonies.

Conservation status

Chinese rufous horseshoe bats are a least-concern species, assessed by the Red List of Threatened Species on the basis that it has fairly wide distribution and is locally common in southeast Asia. The species is not listed in the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife in 1989.

Disease

Bats of this species form the natural reservoir of Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus. An example of one particular strain present is Bat SARS-like coronavirus WIV1.