Rhinolophus mehelyi
Photographer:
Szilárd Bucs
Rhinolophus mehelyi
Assessment Information
IUCN Status:
Vulnerable
With a wingspan of 320-340 mm, Mehely's Horseshoe bat is larger than R. blasii and R. euryale. Its fur is dense being white in the venter and grey-brown at the dorsum.
This is a cave-dwelling species, which roosts exclusively in caves during both summer and winter. R. mehelyi forages in meadows, pastures and also steppes. Its diet is mostly comprised of moths but crane-flies and beetles are also occasionally included.
Threats
Notes
Mehely's Horseshoe bat can be affected by disturbance and loss of underground habitats, changes in foraging habitats, and destruction of caves by tourism. Mortality due to collision with cars is a problem in some areas (e.g., Portugal). The reasons for the decline in population are not fully understood.
Geographic Range
R. mehelyi is largely restricted to the Mediterranean. It is scattered across north Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt) and southern Europe (southern Portugal and Spain, possibly one occurrence in France, a few places in Italy and the Balkans).
Distribution map
Distribution map of Rhinolophus mehelyi