A small horseshoe bat hangs head-down from rough stone, with large pale ears, folded dark wings and a blue forearm band.
Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), identified by the retained exact species taxobox and file metadata. Photograph described as taken at Vachères, France. Band and entire supplied frame retained.
Overview
The lesser horseshoe bat breeds in summer maternity colonies in old buildings and hunts in nearby woodland and sheltered deciduous valleys. Hedgerows connect feeding areas across fragmented countryside.
Roost temperatures allow seasonal shifts in position. Hibernation uses caves, mines and similar underground spaces; summer and winter sites generally lie less than 5–10 km apart.
JNCC documents Meirionnydd, Glynllifon, Tanat and Vyrnwy, and Usk. Glynllifon supports both maternity and hibernation. Losing roosts and connecting vegetation threatens this habitat network. The museum dictionary records its Welsh name, Ystlum Pedol Lleiaf.
Origins & earliest records
The Natural History Museum dictionary gives the accepted name as Rhinolophus hipposideros, with Bechstein, 1800 as the authority. The original description was not consulted.
Evidence & interpretation
JNCC species and site accounts support the ecology and Welsh localities. The Natural History Museum UK Species Dictionary supports the nomenclature.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros)
Selected bibliography; species ecology and Welsh site accounts.
- 02
Species Dictionary: Rhinolophus hipposideros (Bechstein, 1800)
Selected bibliography; accepted name and common names.
Family, evolution & connections
Taxonomic classification
A hierarchy of classified groups, not a chain of direct ancestors.
Source note: Genus and species follow the accepted museum name. Family placement is not included because no supplied source verifies it.
- genusRhinolophus
- speciesRhinolophus hipposideros
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Conservation agency species accountLesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros)Research access: 2026-10-06
- Museum taxonomic databaseSpecies Dictionary: Rhinolophus hipposideros (Bechstein, 1800)Research access: 2026-10-06
Image credits
Documentary organism photographA small horseshoe bat hangs head-down from rough stone, with large pale ears, folded dark wings and a blue forearm band.
Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), identified by the retained exact species taxobox and file metadata. Photograph described as taken at Vachères, France. Band and entire supplied frame retained.
