(Horsfield, 1823)
Horsfield's Leaf-nosed bat
External characters (Table 50)
This is a medium-sized species with an average forearm length of 62.5 mm (61.2-64.8 mm). It is similar in morphology to H. speoris (Hsp1) but significantly larger. The ears are also relatively large with narrowly rounded-off tips and with a concavity on the posterior border beneath the tips (Hlar1). Like H. speoris , the noseleaf has three supplementary leaflets. The internarial septum of the anterior leaf is not inflated; the narial lappets are well developed. The intermediate leaf is slightly expanded, with a small median process and weaker lateral ones each side. The posterior leaf is subdivided into four cells by three well defined septa, its upper edge is slightly flattened and thickened (Hlar2). There is a frontal sac in both sexes, in females it may be reduced to a depression containing a tuft of hairs. As in H. speoris , the fifth metacarpal is shorter than the third and fourth. The pelage is of medium length, dense and very soft. The crown of the head and back have relatively dark brown hair tips with paler hair bases. The shoulders and nape of the neck are paler throughout. The dorsal surface is a uniform cinnamon brown. The baculum is superficially similar to but larger than that of H. lankadiva (Fig. 102). It has two long distal processes and a robust base (Topal, 1975: Table 6, Figs. 5-13).
Cranial characters
The skull is robust with an average condylo-canine length of 21.1 mm (20.8-21.4 mm). It is larger but comparable in morphology to that of H. speoris (Fig. 96). The rostrum is very broad with its four inflations clearly differentiated. The zygomata are also well developed. The mesopterygoid space is U-shaped anteriorly. Unlike H. speoris , the vomer projects beyond the posterior edge of the palate.
Dentition
- Upper toothrow length (C-M3) averages 9.1 mm (8.9-9.4 mm). In contrast to H. speoris (Fig. 97), the upper canine is without a groove on its antero-internal face. The first upper premolar (PM2) is slightly extruded from the toothrow and is compressed tightly between the canine and the second upper premolar (PM4).
- The first lower premolar (pm2) is one third to one half the length of the second lower premolar (pm4).
Variation
Specimens from north-east India are provisionally referred to H. l. leptophyllus . Those from northern Myanmar are referable to H. l. grandis (Hill, 1963c).