Greater horseshoe bat  (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Description

The greater horseshoe bat is the larger of the two horseshoe bats found in Britain. They are so-named from the horseshoe shaped nose 'leaf', used as part of the bat's echolocation system. The ears are leaf-shaped and have a sharply pointed tip. The fur is thick, and coloured ash-grey above, and buff underneath. Bats are not blind as was once popularly thought. They have good eyesight but rely on their echolocation to navigate and to detect their insect prey. They emit a succession of high-pitched squeaks and judge their position and the location of their prey from the reflected echoes.

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