horseshoe bat

horseshoe bat, (genus Rhinolophus), any of more than 100 species of large-eared insect-eating bats that make up the sole genus of the family Rhinolophidae. Their taxonomic name refers to the large complex nose leaf consisting of a fleshy structure on the muzzle. Of the three “leaf” sections, one resembles a horseshoe—hence their common name. The exact function of these facial appurtenances has yet to be determined, but scientists believe they may help to direct outgoing echolocation calls.

Horseshoe bats are found in tropical and temperate regions from Europe to Japan and from Asia to Africa, where they prey on insects, such as flies, moths, and beetles. They usually are brown but occasionally are red. They are about 3.5–11 cm (1.4–4.3 inches) long without the 2.5–4.5-cm (1–1.8-inch) tail, and they weigh 5–30 grams (0.17–1 ounce). Horseshoe bats live in groups and roost in damp dark places, such as caves. Species native to temperate regions hibernate in winter.

Horseshoe bats are carriers of coronaviruses, some of which can cause highly contagious respiratory diseases in humans. Strong similarities between some coronavirus genomes in horseshoe bats and those of SARS-CoV (the virus responsible for the 2002 SARS outbreak) and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic) suggest that these coronaviruses may have first emerged in horseshoe bats before mutating and jumping species either directly or through an intermediate animal species to human beings.

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