Francis' Wooly Horseshoe Bat

Appearance

Members of this genus typically have a horseshoe-shaped, leaf-like structure on their nose, earning them the common name ‘horseshoe bats.’

Naming

The name of the newly discovered Rhinolophus species – the Francis’ woolly horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus francisi) – honors Dr Charles M. Francis, a scientist who collected the type specimen of the new species in Malaysia in 1983.

Distribution

“The new species is currently known from only six records; with two records in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo; three in Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) and a single record in Thailand,” Dr Portela Miguez and his colleagues said.

“The species may be distributed more widely in these regions, but has been rarely captured despite extensive surveys. Genetic data also suggest that this species is likely to occur in Vietnam, although this needs to be confirmed.”