#0127 · 🦊 mammals
Greater Horseshoe Bat
🇳🇱 Grote Hoefijzerneus ·Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
📍 Bitton, Bristol BS30 6LL, UK
📍 대한민국 충청북도 청원군 문의면 상장리 437
📍 Imperia, Liguria, IT
📍 Great Britain, Bristol, England, GB
10 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences
- 1. © Arnold Wijker · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 2. © jeanmarcmeuse55 · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 3. © Profundezas · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
- 4. © Gilles San Martin · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. © Gilles San Martin · CC BY-SA 4.0
- 6. © Vera Ferreira · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 7. Bitton, Bristol BS30 6LL, UK:© markster2000 · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 8. 대한민국 충청북도 청원군 문의면 상장리 437:© jimenn_kim · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 9. Imperia, Liguria, IT:© Giacomo Gola · CC BY-NC 4.0
- 10. Great Britain, Bristol, England, GB:© Amber · CC BY-NC 4.0
what is it?
The greater horseshoe bat ( Rhinolophus ferrumequinum ) is a European bat of the genus Rhinolophus . Its distribution covers Europe, Africa, South Asia and Australia. It is the largest of the European horseshoe bats and is thus easily distinguished from other species. The species is sedentary, typically travelling up to 30 kilometres (19 mi) between the winter and summer roosts, with the longest recorded movement being 180 km (110 mi). The species is notable as having the oldest recorded age for...
base stats
Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).
fun facts
- No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
- 2,272 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
- Can live up to 4 years.
- Scientifically named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1774 (252 years ago).
fact sheet
- English
- Greater Horseshoe Bat
- Nederlands
- Grote Hoefijzerneus
- scientific name
- Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
- class
- Mammalia
- order
- Chiroptera
- family
- Rhinolophidae
- IUCN Red List
- LC · least concern
- sightings in NL
- 0
- sightings in Europe
- 1,652
- sightings worldwide
- 2,272
- GBIF records in NL
- 92
- weight
- —
- length
- —
- lifespan
- 4 years
- named
- 1774 by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber
IUCN in Dutch: niet bedreigd. Blank means the sources don't say.
relatives· Rhinolophidae
Sources: iNaturalist taxon 40645, Wikidata Q737413, GBIF 2432655, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.