Head to head
Parnell's Mustached Bat vs Greater Horseshoe Bat
Parnell's Mustached Bat
VS Greater Horseshoe Bat
Parnell's mustached bat of the American tropics and the greater horseshoe bat of the Old World are unrelated families that have arrived at similarly sophisticated echolocation.
| Parnell's Mustached Bat | Greater Horseshoe Bat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pteronotus parnellii | Rhinolophus ferrumequinum |
| Family and continent | A New World mustached bat | An Old World horseshoe bat |
| Echolocation | Long calls at a nearly constant frequency, adjusted in flight to compensate for the Doppler shift | Calls emitted through a horseshoe-shaped flap of skin on its nose rather than through its mouth |
| Face | Stiff hairs around the mouth that look like a mustache | An elaborate horseshoe-shaped nose-leaf |
| Prey detection | Picks up the flutter of an insect's wings in the returning echoes | Catches insects in flight or plucks them from vegetation using precise echolocation |
| Roost | Caves in large colonies, often in the dark zone | Wraps its wings fully around its body when roosting |
| Range | Tropical forest from Mexico through Central America to northern South America and the Caribbean | Forest and grassland across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with a stable population | Least Concern, increasing as it recovers in parts of Europe |
Parnell's Mustached Bat vs Greater Horseshoe Bat: common questions
How does Parnell's mustached bat echolocate?
It uses long calls at a nearly constant frequency and adjusts them as it flies to compensate for the Doppler shift, so it can pick up the flutter of insect wings.
Why is the greater horseshoe bat called that?
It has an elaborate horseshoe-shaped nose-leaf through which it sends out its echolocation calls.
Where do Parnell's mustached bat and the greater horseshoe bat live?
Parnell's mustached bat lives in tropical forest from Mexico to northern South America and the Caribbean, while the greater horseshoe bat lives across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia.