Wildlife
Lesser horseshoe bats are named for their fleshy nose-leaf structures. These amplify the ultrasonic calls that the bats emit when searching for food. They fly close to the ground when hunting, using echolocation to detect prey and then accurately picking invertebrates off branches and stones. Lesser horseshoe bats mate in the autumn and move to nurseries to give birth in spring. The nurseries are sometimes shared with other species of bat, including the greater mouse-eared bat and Geoffroy's bat in mainland Europe.
Scientific name: Rhinolophus hipposideros
Rank: Species
In order to see this content you need to have an up-to-date version of Flash installed and Javascript turned on.
Last of the summer roost
A colony of lesser horseshoe bats are protected by the smallest SSSI in England.
A colony of lesser horseshoe bats are protected by the smallest SSSI in England.
Belfry bats
A ruined friary is home to some of Ireland's varied bat species.
A ruined friary is home to some of Ireland's varied bat species.
Loft lovers
Bats don't need belfires, they're just as fond of nice cosy lofts.
Bats don't need belfires, they're just as fond of nice cosy lofts.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Lesser horseshoe bat can be found in a number of locations including: Africa, Asia, Europe, Mediterranean, Russia, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Lesser horseshoe bat distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Population trend: Decreasing
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), is a type of European bat related to but smaller than its cousin, the Greater Horseshoe Bat. The species gets its name from its distinctive horseshoe-shaped nose.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. If you find the content in the 'About' section factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia. For more information on our use of Wikipedia please read our FAQ.
Take a trip through the natural world with our themed collections of video clips from the natural history archive.
Garden wildlife
From badgers to butterflies and frogs to foxes, garden wildlife is both varied and surprising.
BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
Farmland
Hedgerows
Parkland
Broadleaf forest
Temperate grassland
Urban
Helpless young
Carnivorous
Colonial
Courtship display
Adapted to flying
Hibernation
Maternal care
Predator
Echolocation and ultrasound
Viviparous