Iriomote horseshoe bat

This animal is a member of the order Chiroptera, family Rhinolophidae. It is found on Iriomote Island in Okinawa. Its head and body length is about 5 cm, its forearm length is 4-4.5 cm, and its wingspan is 25 cm. It is between the size of the greater horseshoe bat and the lesser horseshoe bat, with broad ears and a dark brown upper body. It is characterized by a significantly different nose lobe in the center of its face compared to the previous two species, with the tip of the central projection of the nose lobe of this species being pointed, and when viewed from the side, it is concave backwards and horn-like. The base of the canine tooth on the upper jaw is thick, and the molars are also large. It lives in small groups of about 20 individuals, sometimes in large groups, in caves and sea caves in the eastern and western parts of Iriomote Island. It spends the day in the caves, leaving its roost at sunset to feed in forests and other places. It gives birth to a single baby in early June.

[Yoshiyuki Mizuko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱翼手目キクガシラコウモリ科の動物。沖縄の西表島に分布する。頭胴長約5センチメートル、前腕長4～4.5センチメートル、翼開長25センチメートル。キクガシラコウモリとコキクガシラコウモリの中間の大きさで、耳介が幅広く、体上面が濃い褐色である。前2種に比べると顔の中央にある鼻葉が著しく異なるのが特徴で、本種の鼻葉の中央突起の先端はとがり、側面からみると後方にくぼみ、角(つの)状を呈する。上あごの犬歯の基部は太く、臼歯(きゅうし)も大きい。西表島の東部や西部の洞窟(どうくつ)、海食洞に20頭ほどの小群、ときに大群で生活する。日中は洞内で過ごし、日没と同時にねぐらを離れ、森林などで採食する。6月上旬に1子を出産する。

［吉行瑞子］

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