Greater Horseshoe Bat

About this species

Size

Length 57–71mm; tail 35–43mm; wingspan 350–400mm

Diet

Insects

Habitat

Roosts in caves, old temples and ruined buildings in tight clusters; Himalayan montane forest

Range

North Africa and southern Europe through south-west Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalaya to south-eastern China, Korea and Japan

The greater horseshoe bat is an insectivorous horseshoe bat and the largest horseshoe bat in Europe. It is 57–71 mm long with a 35–43 mm tail and a wingspan of 350–400 mm, and females are slightly larger than males. The fur is soft and fluffy, grey-brown above and grey-white below, and the wing membranes and ears are light grey-brown (Wikipedia, general species account).

Its range runs from North Africa and southern Europe through south-west Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalaya to south-eastern China, Korea and Japan. In the Himalaya it lives in montane forest among mountains and valleys and roosts in caves, old temples and ruined buildings in tight clusters. It is sedentary, typically travelling up to 30 km between winter and summer roosts. Most of the detail in the cached account describes European populations (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)