Mediterranean horseshoe bat
Rhinolophus euryale
sergi4cr · Girona
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 7.5–17.5 g, wingspan 30–32 cm
- Diet
- Insectivore, mainly moths
- Status in Georgia
- Resident, mainly in the west
- Habitat
- Karst caves, broadleaf woodland
- Family
- Rhinolophidae
- Conservation
- VU / NT
The Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) is among the bats most often found in Georgia's caves. It is medium-sized, weighing 7.5–17.5 g, with a horseshoe-shaped leaf of skin on its nose. It lives mainly in the karst country of western Georgia, where in summer it forms colonies of over a hundred animals, while in the east it is very rare. It looks so much like Blasius's horseshoe bat that you cannot tell them apart by eye in the field. It copes very badly with disturbance, so do not approach bats hanging in a cave.
Identification
Mediterranean horseshoe bat: how to identify it
A medium-sized horseshoe bat with a forearm of 43–51 mm and a wingspan of 30–32 cm. The fur is fluffy and greyish brown, sometimes with a reddish tinge, and the belly is paler. The most reliable feature is in the noseleaf, but it can only be seen on a bat held in the hand. In the field it is almost impossible to tell from Blasius's and Mehely's horseshoe bats.
Head and body 43–58 mm, tail 22–30 mm, forearm 43–51 mm, weight 7.5–17.5 g. Its size almost exactly matches Blasius's horseshoe bat, so size will not help you separate them.
Its nose carries a horseshoe-shaped leaf of skin. In the middle, above the nostrils, a narrow, pointed process rises; it curves forward and down and is clearly longer than the lower, rounded process. The "saddle" in front of it has almost parallel sides and a broad top. In Blasius's horseshoe bat the same process is straight and tall like a horn, and the saddle narrows towards the top.
The back is greyish brown with a slight reddish, lilac or yellowish tinge. The hairs are whitish at the base and greyish brown at the tips. The belly is paler, greyish white or yellowish white. First-year animals are darker than adults.
The greater horseshoe bat is clearly bigger, with a wingspan of 35–40 cm and a weight of up to 30 g. The lesser horseshoe bat is smaller, at 5–9 g. The Mediterranean horseshoe bat's echolocation call lies at 100–109 kHz, and Blasius's horseshoe bat's at 85–98 kHz. The lesser horseshoe bat calls at about 110 kHz and overlaps with it, so even an ultrasound detector does not always settle it. Do not catch the bat yourself: only a bat researcher can confirm the species.
The Mediterranean horseshoe bat is tied to karst country and the lowlands next to it, up to 800 m in western Georgia. Most records come from the foothills on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus: Kutaisi, Martvili, Nokalakevi, the Urta, Ghliana and Tskaltubo caves, and Tsebelda. South of the Rioni it is known from Chakvistavi. East of the Surami Range it is very rare: it has been found in Tbilisi and at the Algeti Reservoir (Kvemo Kartli). In summer it lives mainly in caves, but it also uses buildings. Near Nokalakevi a maternity colony lived in an old church, and single bats were found under the dome of a pumping station and in a lime kiln. In western Georgia it spends the winter only in caves.
The Mediterranean horseshoe bat feeds mainly on moths, all year round, winter included. It prefers small and medium-sized moths. It also eats crane flies (Tipulidae), small beetles and other insects. It flies slowly, catches insects in flight or picks them off leaves and the ground, and carries its prey to a night roost to eat. It hunts in broadleaf woodland, riverside vegetation and hedgerows, usually within 5–10 km of its roost. It avoids conifer plantations and brightly lit towns.
The Mediterranean horseshoe bat is nocturnal and leaves its roost late at dusk. It flies very nimbly and can hover for a moment. Large colonies gather only in the breeding season and consist of females and young. Males probably live apart at that time, alone or in small groups. In July 2004 over a hundred Mediterranean horseshoe bats hung in a ceiling niche of Ghliana Cave, and the females examined were pregnant. It often shares roosts with other species: greater and lesser horseshoe bats, mouse-eared bats and bent-winged bats. Mating takes place in autumn in caves and may continue in winter roosts. Pregnancy lasts about 90 days. In Europe the single young is born in June–July and becomes independent at four weeks. A female first gives birth at 2–3 years. In the mild climate of western Georgia, hibernation starts no earlier than November and ends by March, and only single bats have been found in caves in winter. It keeps to its home area but moves between summer and winter roosts. It copes badly with disturbance, and a cave that is disturbed often may be abandoned altogether.
In Georgia the Mediterranean horseshoe bat is Vulnerable (VU): it was listed so in Georgia's 2014 Red List and kept the same category in the 2021 national assessment. The western Georgian population is not under threat, but the eastern one is very small. It is also on the list of Emerald Network priority species. Globally it is Near Threatened (NT, 2016), and its numbers are falling. Its main threat is disturbance in caves: cave tourism, caving visits and vandalism, which drive bats out of a cave. Pesticides, light pollution, urban growth and the loss of hunting grounds are threats too. In western Georgia the places it lives have been turned into gardens, tea plantations and fields over centuries. In the second half of the 20th century its numbers may also have fallen because of the mass planting of exotic trees. What matters most for its protection is keeping its caves quiet.
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Yes. It lives mainly in the karst country of western Georgia, in the foothills on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. It is known from Kutaisi, Martvili, Nokalakevi and the Ghliana and Tskaltubo caves. In the east it is very rare and known only from Tbilisi and the Algeti Reservoir.
Mainly in caves. In summer it sometimes settles in an old church or another building, but in western Georgia it spends the winter only in caves. At night it hunts in broadleaf woodland, along rivers and in scrub. If you see bats hanging in a cave, do not disturb them.
In the field you almost cannot. They share a similar size and colour. In the Mediterranean horseshoe bat the central process of the noseleaf curves forward and down, and the saddle is broad at the top. In Blasius's horseshoe bat the process is straight and tall, and the saddle narrows towards the top. This can only be seen on a bat held in the hand, so a bat researcher confirms the species.
It is a medium-sized bat: it weighs 7.5–17.5 g, its head and body measure 43–58 mm and its wingspan is 30–32 cm. It is smaller than the greater horseshoe bat and larger than the lesser horseshoe bat. In size it almost exactly matches Blasius's horseshoe bat.
Mainly moths, all year round. It also eats crane flies, small beetles and other insects. It catches insects in flight or picks them off leaves and carries them to a night roost to eat.
No, it is not venomous and does not attack you. But do not touch any bat with bare hands, because rabies cannot be ruled out by looking. If it bites or scratches you, wash the spot with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor at once. In an emergency, call 112.
Yes. It is listed as Vulnerable (VU) in Georgia's Red List and is Near Threatened worldwide (NT, 2016). The western Georgian population is not under threat, but the eastern one is very small. Its main threat is disturbance in caves, so keep quiet in a cave with bats and do not go near them.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
