Rhinolophus blasii
Blasius's horseshoe bat

Rhinolophus blasii is found in parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is widespread, but with a patchy distribution. Blasius's horseshoe bats live in many parts of southern Europe, including the Balkan peninsula, Greece, and on some Mediterranean islands such as Cyprus and Crete. They were once found in parts of northern Italy, but are now thought to be extirpated from this region. They are also found in many parts of the Middle East, including Turkey, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. They are found throughout much of Africa, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and the Transvaal region. ("IUCN 2008 Red List", 2008; Csorba, Ujhelyi, and Thomas, 2003; Schober and Grimmberger, 1987; Wilson and Reeder, 1993)

Blasius's horseshoe bats live in temperate climates and prefer savanna woodlands, although they are occasionally found in desert regions as well. They roost in caves, mines, under piles of boulders, and sometimes in human dwellings, roosting in attics and cellars. ("IUCN 2008 Red List", 2008; Csorba, Ujhelyi, and Thomas, 2003; Schober and Grimmberger, 1987)

Blasius's horseshoe bats are medium sized bats with medium sized ears and broad wings. They are normally light brown with hints of grey, lilac, and cream colors in their long fur. They have distinctive horseshoe shaped noseleaves, from which horseshoe bats take their name. The noseleaf of Blasius's horseshoe bats is broad but covers only part of the muzzle. The wings are short and broad, which allows for greater maneuverability. The skull is gracile, which indicates that its diet consists of soft foods rather than the hard shelled insects eaten by bats with more robust skulls. The negative tilt of the head identifies R. blasii as a nasal emitter; their high frequency echolocation calls radiate from the nostrils as opposed to the mouth. Blasius's horseshoe bats have a 1-1-2-3, 2-1-3-3 dentition, with relatively strong, short upper canines. They are sexually dimorphic, with the female being the larger of the two sexes. (Csorba, Ujhelyi, and Thomas, 2003; Dietz, Dietz, and Siemers, 2006; Kunz and Fenton, 2003; Schober and Grimmberger, 1987)

No specific information was found on the lifespan of Blasius's horseshoe bats, however, bats in the genus Rhinolophus can live to 6 or 7 years. (Nowak, 1999)

Blasius's horseshoe bats are nocturnal and generally roost in caves or other underground dwellings during the day. Typically, roosts will include not more than three or four bats who suspend freely by their feet congregated closely to one another, but not touching. At night they hunt for moths using echolocation, as well as ground gleaning techniques to find prey. Ground gleaning is a method of prey capture where the predator uses specific sensory information to snatch their quarry from the ground. In a study by Siemers and Ivanova (2006), Blasius's horseshoe bats were found to be well adapted to taking flight from the ground, enabling them to hunt effectively at this level. They can also fly very close to vegetation and are able to capture prey in flight. Blasius's horseshoe bats use flutter-clues from the wings of their prey to help identify its location. They hibernate during colder seasons, sometimes beginning as early as November, and will not hibernate in any spot that falls to temperatures below 14 degrees Celsius. Blasius's horseshoe bats do not migrate. (Csorba, Ujhelyi, and Thomas, 2003; Dietz, Dietz, and Siemers, 2006; Fenton, 1983; Schober and Grimmberger, 1987; Siemers and Ivanora, 2004)

Home Range

The home range of R. blasii is currently unknown.

Like most bats, Blasius's horseshoe bats use echolocation to navigate and locate prey. Echolocation calls have a signal duration of around 40 to 50 milliseconds and a distinctive constant-frequency, with a signal of 93 to 98 kHz. Information on intraspecific communication is not reported, except that females find their young with auditory and olfactory cues. (Dietz, Dietz, and Siemers, 2006; Schober and Grimmberger, 1987)

Blasius's horseshoe bats are insectivorous, with a diet mainly consisting of nocturnal moths, including those of the families Lasiocampidae, Noctuidae, and Geometridae. (Dietz, Dietz, and Siemers, 2006)

No specific information on the predation of R. blasii was obtained, however, one can assume that animals known to prey on other bats might also prey on this species. These include owls, snakes, and sometimes other bats. In general, bats have a fairly low rate of predation. (Hill and Smith, 1984)

Because it is an insectivorous species, one important ecosystem role of R. blasii is the control of insects, mainly nocturnal moths. Bats are also known for their highly phosphorus and nitrogen rich excrement which is beneficial to soil.

Although there are no known adverse effects of R. blasii on humans, their occasional tendency to roost in attics and cellars can be seen as invasive, and therefore they can be considered by some as household pests. ("IUCN 2008 Red List", 2008)

The ecosystem roles of R. blasii can also have a positive impact on humans. These bats eat moths that can be agricultural and household pests. Bat guano can be used as fertilizer in gardens and on farms.

Although R. blasii is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN 2008 Red List, populations are still in decline, and this species has become regionally extinct in some areas, such as Italy. Threats to Blasius's horseshoe bats include loss or disruption of roosting sites and foraging habitat. Populations are uncommon in Africa, and in Europe populations are also quite limited. However, Asian populations seem healthy. Rhinolophus basii is legally protected in some areas by the international Bonn and Bern Conventions. Some nations have set up their own legislation to protect this species, and Special Areas for Conservation have been established under the guidelines of the EU Habitats and Species Directive. ("IUCN 2008 Red List", 2008)