Mozambican horseshoe bat


The Mozambican horseshoe bat is a species of horseshoe bat found in Africa.

Taxonomy

It was described as a new species in 2012.
The holotype had been collected by A. Monadjem in July 2006 at Niassa Reserve in Mozambique.
It was segregated from the Hildebrandt's horseshoe bat species complex at the same time as the Smithers's horseshoe bat, Cohen's horseshoe bat, and Rhinolophus mabuensis.
Its species name "mossambicus" refers to the country of Mozambique.

Description

Its forearm length is.
It echolocates at a peak frequency of 35-38 kHz.

Range and habitat

Its range includes the African countries of Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
It has been documented at a range of elevations from above sea level.
It is associated with savanna habitats.

Conservation

As of 2017, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN.
It meets the criteria for this assessment because it has a relatively large geographic range, and it is unlikely to be experiencing rapid population decline.
Its population trend is, however, projected as decreasing due to threats such as hunting for bushmeat, as well as roost disturbance due to guano mining.