Blyth, 1844
Little Nepalese Horseshoe bat
External characters (Table 31)
The following description is based on a series of extralimital specimens collected in northern Myanmar and which were referred to subbadius by Hill, 1962. It is is one of the smallest Rhinolophid bats known from Asia with an average forearm length of 34.3 mm (33.4-35.9 mm) which is considerably shorter than that of R. pusillus (37.0 mm; 34.9-37.8 mm). The sella is similar to that of R. pusillus but with the superior connecting process more horn like. The lancet is thought to be short and broad. Pelage colour is similar to that of R. pusillus . It is cinnamon brown above with paler hair bases; the ventral surface is slightly paler but the contrast between the two surfaces is less evident than that of R. lepidus .
Cranial characters
The skull is small with an average condylo-canine length of 12.4 mm (11.9-12.9 mm). The narrow palatal breadth, both across the molars (M3-M3) and canines (C1-C1), distinguishes all known specimens of this species from R. pusillus .
Dentition
- Upper toothrow length (C-M3) is short, averaging 5.3 mm (5.1-5.5 mm). The first upper premolar (PM2) is small but with a distinct cusp and lies within the toothrow.
- The second lower premolar (pm3) is minute or absent. When present, it is usually extruded from the toothrow. The first (pm2) and third premolars (pm4) are in contact.
Variation
There is insufficient material to determine the subspecific variation within the species.
Taxonomic remarks
The holotype of subbadius cannot be traced. A specimen (BM.65.4.28.5) referred to garoensis in the Natural History Museum, London is in fact referable to R. pusillus ; its dental and anterior cranial characters (the braincase is missing) are indistinguishable from specimens of R. pusillus collected from Nepal, Darjeeling District and Meghalaya. No subsequent specimens of R. subbadius have been collected from Nepal, although specimens of R. pusillus have been collected from Kathmandu Valley (the type locality of subbadius ). Scully, 1887 was of the opinion that subbadius was a synonym of minor (= pusillus ). Specimens from Mussoorie referred by Dobson, 1876; Dobson, 1878 to subbadius were later assigned by Andersen, 1905b to monticola (= lepidus ), a view supported by Hill, 1962. Clearly there is a need for further study to determine whether subbadius is a discrete taxon or a synonym of pusillus . This necessitates research in the Kathmandu Valley. There is also a need to determine if garoensis (holotype in the Zoological Survey Collection, Calcutta) is a discrete taxon, or a synonym of subbadius , or a synonym of pusillus and whether the small Rhinolophid from upper Myanmar described in Hill, 1962 was correctly referred by him to R. subbadius .