First observed in …

Physical Characteristics. Heard on a heterodyne bat detector the lesser horseshoe sounds rather like a … The lesser horseshoe bat population is currently thought to be increasing. Rhinolophus hipposideros. The greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bats have a circular flap of skin surrounding their nostrils and the horseshoe shape of this ‘nose-leaf’ gives these bats their name. Rhinolophus hipposideros with the common name Lesser horseshoe bat, belongs to the Mammals group The greater horseshoe, weighing between 13-34g, is one of the largest bat species. Horseshoe bats differ from the Vespertilionid bats in that they have a number of flaps or folds of skin around their nostrils, called a noseleaf, that form a horseshoe shape.

The bats use the Doppler shift, detecting a change in frequency of the sound reflected by moving prey. The lesser horseshoe bat belongs to the Rhinolophidae family of bats, while the other resident species belong to the Vespertilionidae family. The lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) is a microbat who can be found almost across all Europe, including in Portugal. Ireland has nine resident bat species, each unique in their diet, habitat choices and physical appearance. It has buff-brown fur, except in animals of less than one year old which are dark grey. The lesser horseshoe produces a constant high frequency warble at 110 kHz.

they use for navigation and hunting. However, it still faces a number of threats, including a loss of prey caused by agricultural intensification and the presence of artificial lighting, which may cause bats to avoid otherwise suitable habitat.

In Britain, the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) is now restricted to Wales, the west midlands and south-west England.In the early 1900s, it was found as far north as Yorkshire and along the south coast of England as far east as Kent. It’s related to but smaller than its cousing, the Greater Horseshoe bat. Lesser horseshoe bat roost sites in Britain are currently conserved as part of conservation management schemes. For The Vincent Wildlife Trust, one species has been at the heart of our conservation work in Ireland for over 25 years, and fascinates us in a particular way – the lesser horseshoe bat. crú-ialtóg bheag. The lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) is a type of small European insectivorous bat, related to its larger cousin, the greater horseshoe bat.As with all horseshoe bats, the species gets its name from its distinctive horseshoe-shaped noseleaf. The results of this study show that current conservation measures are adequate to maintain lesser horseshoe bat populations in Wales .