Table 4 Key for the 7 common horseshoe bats from South China. Wt represents body mass (g), FA represents the length of forearm (mm), Ear represents the length of ear (mm)
Species | Wt | FA | Ear | Horseshoe | Sella | Connecting process | Lancet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rhinolophus affinis | 9–19 | 46–56 | 15–21 | relatively broad but not cover whole muzzle, with well-defined emargination | slightly concave and pandurate in shape | rounded and sparsely haired | parallel-sided lancet |
Rhinolophus macrotis | 4.4–9.5 | 39–48 | 18–27 | broad, covers muzzle | long and upward pointed, broad, rounded, roughly tongue-shaped, and covered in long | high and rounded, almost parallel to sella at lower part | long, with convex or straight lateral margins and rounded or a little pointed tip |
Rhinolophus nippon | 13–44 | 53–64 | 18–29 | narrow, not cover muzzle | naked, relatively small, and curved forward | rounded and much higher than tip of sella | hastate or subtriangular lancet |
Rhinolophus pearsonii | 13–20 | 47–56 | 23–29 | wide, completely cover the muzzle | widened basally, suddenly constricted for the rest, being parallel-sided up to the rounded tip | originates at the sella tip and forms a low round arch | nearly parallel-sided |
Rhinolophus pernigei | 27–37 | 58–81 | 28–44 | wide and projects in front and on either side beyond the upper lip, with a distinct and very deep median emargination that separates the horseshoe in two sides | parallel-sided, and deflected downward and forward at the tip, with large circular lappets at the base | broadly rounded and heavily reduced | a well-developed and subacutely pointed lancet |
Rhinolophus pusillus | 3.3–8 | 33–40 | 33–40 | relatively wide with small median emargination | slightly constricted medially, gradually narrowing to widely rounded tip | generally triangular | variable lancet that ranges from elongate with concave sides to short and nearly triangular with parallel sides |
Rhinolophus sinicus | 8.9–10.9 | 43–56 | 15–20 | relatively wide but not completely cover muzzle, and with visible and well-developed lateral leaflets | virtually parallel sided, and widely rounded off at tip | rounded | hastate lancet that constricts before variably long to short tip |