Rhinolophus hipposideros
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) is a type of small European and North African insectivorous bat, related to its larger cousin, the greater horseshoe bat. As with all horseshoe bats, the species gets its name from its distinctive horseshoe-shaped noseleaf.
The lesser horseshoe bat is one of the world's smallest bats, weighing only 5 to 9 grams (0.18 to 0.32 oz), with a wingspan of 192–254 millimetres (7.6–10.0 in) and a body length of 35–45 millimetres (1.4–1.8 in). It has strong feet that it uses to grasp rocks and branches, and can see well in spite of its small eyes. Like most bats, lesser horseshoe bats live in colonies and hunt their prey by echolocation, emitting ultrasound from specialized round pads in their mouth.
The base of its fur, which is soft and fluffy, is light grey in colour, with dorsal side fur smoky brown and the ventral side grey, with the exception of juvenile bats which are entirely dark grey. Ears and wing membranes are a light greyish brown.
When hunting they are quick and agile, often flying within five metres of the ground while avoiding contact with bushes and shrubs. The lesser horseshoe bat eats small insects... Wikipedia →
Echolocation0:29
France · 2019
© Olivier SWIFT, Ludivine DELAMARE · XC1104195 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:12
Portugal · 2021
© neilfletcher · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:48
Germany · 2026
© Stefan Gey · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 4 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cotswold Wildlife Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Horseshoe Bat sighting in Mercantour National Park on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 12 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and February
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Horseshoe Bat in Mercantour National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April to August, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Horseshoe Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Lesser Horseshoe Bat sightings, Mercantour National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cévennes National Park (France, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Horseshoe Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Mercantour National Park (59 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
