Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie, 1901

Higher Taxonomy
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Rhinolophidae
Genus: Rhinolophus
Characterisation
Trogloxene
Distribution
Discontinuous distribution in W Palearctic
Distribution in caves of Greece
  • Kirki mines, Papadatou 2010, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Anatoliki Makedonia-Thraki / Regional unit: Evros / Municipality: Alexandroupoli / Closest settlement: Sapes
  • Spilaio Didymoteichou, Niethammer 1974, Hanak et al. 2001, Georgiakakis & Papadatou 2015, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Anatoliki Makedonia-Thraki / Regional unit: Evros / Municipality: Didymoteicho / Closest settlement: Didymoteicho
  • Spilaio Koufovounou, Hurka 1972, Niethammer 1974, Ivanova 2000, Hanak et al. 2001, Georgiakakis & Papadatou 2015, Beron 2016, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Anatoliki Makedonia-Thraki / Regional unit: Evros / Municipality: Didymoteicho / Closest settlement: Koufovouno
  • Tsoutouros mine galleries, Papadatou 2010, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Anatoliki Makedonia-Thraki / Regional unit: Evros / Municipality: Soufli / Closest settlement: Dadia
  • Spilaio Maroneias, Hanak et al. 2001, Ivanova & Gueorguieva 2004, Paragamian et al. 2004, Beron 2016, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Anatoliki Makedonia-Thraki / Regional unit: Rodopi / Municipality: Maroneia - Sapes / Closest settlement: Maroneia
  • Kimmeria artificial galleries, Hanak et al. 2001, Georgiakakis & Papadatou 2015, Benda et al. 2019, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Anatoliki Makedonia-Thraki / Regional unit: Xanthi / Municipality: Xanthi / Closest settlement: Kimmeria
  • Spilaio Nymfis, Strinati 1955, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1977, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1983b, Hanak et al. 2001, Beron 2016, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Attiki / Regional unit: Anatoliki Attiki / Municipality: Saronikos / Closest settlement: Kouvaras
  • Spilaio Limnon, Strinati 1955, Ondrias 1965, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1977, Hanak et al. 2001, Beron 2016, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Dytiki Ellada / Regional unit: Achaia / Municipality: Kalavryta / Closest settlement: Kastria
  • Spilaio Symittou, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1977, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1983b, Hanak et al. 2001, Beron 2016
    Region: Dytiki Ellada / Regional unit: Aitoloakarnania / Municipality: Aktio - Vonitsa / Closest settlement: Monastiraki
  • Spilaio Petralonon, Hanak et al. 2001, Beron 2016
    Region: Kentriki Makedonia / Regional unit: Chalkidiki / Municipality: Nea Propontida / Closest settlement: Petralona
  • Spilaio Alistratis, Paragamian 1992, Beron 2016
    Region: Kentriki Makedonia / Regional unit: Serres / Municipality: Nea Zichni / Closest settlement: Alistrati
  • Spilaio Chrysopigis, Aellen 1955, Lindberg 1955d, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1977, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1983b, Hanak et al. 2001, Beron 2016, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Kentriki Makedonia / Regional unit: Serres / Municipality: Serres / Closest settlement: Chrysopigi_
  • Spilaio Pelade, Lindberg 1955d, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1977, Iliopoulou-Georgudaki 1983b, Hanak et al. 2001, Beron 2016, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Kentriki Makedonia / Regional unit: Serres / Municipality: Serres / Closest settlement: Oinousa
  • Spilaio Katarrakton, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Kentriki Makedonia / Regional unit: Serres / Municipality: Sintiki / Closest settlement: Sidirokastro
  • Spilaio Drakotrypa, Gioulatos 2014, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Kentriki Makedonia / Regional unit: Thessaloniki / Municipality: Volvi / Closest settlement: Vrasna
  • Spilaio Katavothra Aliartou, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Sterea Ellada / Regional unit: Voiotia / Municipality: Orchomenos / Closest settlement: Akraifnio
  • Ancient mine 4 km E of Efthalou, Hanak et al. 2001, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Voreio Aigaio / Regional unit: Lesvos / Municipality: Lesvos / Closest settlement: Efthalou
  • Spilaio Agiou Thymianou, Georgiakakis et al. 2023
    Region: Voreio Aigaio / Regional unit: Lesvos / Municipality: Lesvos / Closest settlement: Loutropoli Thermis
IUCN Red List
VU - Vulnerable
Greece's Red Data Book
VU - Vulnerable
Protection status
  • Bern Convention: Appendix II in Council of Europe 1979 - Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats / Law 1335/1983, OGG 32/Α/14-03-1983 (Integration of the Bern Convention)
  • Bonn Convention: Appendix II in Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979 / Law 2719/1999, OGG 106/26-5-1999 (Integration of the Bonn Convention)
  • Law 86/1969, OGG7/Α/1969 (Forest Code modified by Law 2637/1998, OGG 200/A/1998)
  • Presidential Decree 67/1981 on the protection of native flora and fauna species (OGG 23/A/1981)
  • Protection Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC): Appendices II/IV in Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) / Joint Ministerial Decision 33318/3028/1998 (Integration of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC)
Check Databases
Fauna Europea
GBIF
IUCN Red List
PESI
NCBI
Species references
  • Aellen, V. 1955. Etude d΄ une collection de Nycterobiidae et de Streblidae (Diptera, Pupipara) de la région Palearctique occidentale, particulièrement de la Suisse. Bull. Soc. neuchatel. Sci. nat., 78: 81-104.
  • Benda, P., Ševčík, M., Bego, F., Sachanowicz, K., Spitzenberger, F., Tájek, P., Tájková, P., Uhrin, M. 2019. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Part 15. The fauna of bats and bat ectoparasites of Albania with a catalogue of bats from the western Balkans in the collection of the National Museum, Prague. Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 83: 1–238
  • Beron, P. 2016. Faune cavernicole de la Grèce. Maison d'édition Est-West., Sofia. pp. 229.
  • Georgiakakis, P. & Papadatou, E., 2015. Chiroptera, In Papamichael G., Arapis T., Petkidi K., Fytou I & Chatzirvasanis V. 2015. Deliverable 7, C – Phase of Study 7: "Monitoring and evaluation of conservation status mammal species of Community interest in Greece.". Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climatic Change, Athens, scholars Partnership and consultancy firms “ARAPIS THOMAS EYAGGELOY, GEOANALYSI S.A. and PAPACHARISI ALEXANDRA THEODORA ", Athens. pp. 59 (in Greek)
  • Georgiakakis P, Kafkaletou Diez A, Salvarina I, Benda P, Billington G, Dietz C, Billington J, Cove D, Davison S, Cooke M, Papadatou E. 2023. The Bats of Greece: An Updated Review of Their Distribution, Ecology and Conservation. Animals. 2023; 13(15):2529. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13152529
  • Gioulatos D. (coord.) 2014. Midterm report, C- Phase of Study 7: "Monitoring and evaluation of conservation status mammal species of Community interest in the area of competence of the Koronia - Volvi Lakes Management Body.. Thessaloniki, Management Body of Lakes Koronia - Volvi (National Park, Natura 2000 protected area)
  • Hanak, V., Benda, P., Ruedi, M., Homcek, I. & Sofianidou, T. 2001. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean. Part 2. New records and review of distribution of bats in Greece. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae, 65: 279-346.
  • Hurka, K. 1972. Basilia mongolensis nudior subsp. n. nebst Bemerkungen zur Nycteribien- und Streblidenfauna Thrakiens (Diptera: Pupipara). Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, 76 (April): 709-713.
  • Iliopoulou-Georgudaki, J. 1977. Taxonomic study and geographical distribution of Chiroptera in Greece. PhD. Thesis. Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, University of Patra, Patra, 173 pp (in Greek)
  • Iliopoulou-Georgudaki, J. 1983. Bats parasites and their relations to human health. Proceedings of the International Meeting on the show caves and their problems. Publisher, Athens, September 1-3, 1983. pp. 237-243.
  • Ivanova, T. & Gueorguieva, A. 2004. Bats (Mammalia : Chiroptera) of the Eastern Rhodopes (Bulgaria and Greece) – species diversity , zoogeography and faunal patterns. In Beron, Petar;Popov, A. Biodiversity of Bulgaria. 2. Biodiversity of Eastern Rhodopes (Bulgaria and Greece). Publisher. pp. 907-927.
  • Ivanova, T. 2000. New data οn bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the Eastem Rhodopes, Greece (Thrace, Evros). Hist. Nat. Bulg., 11: 117-125.
  • Lindberg, K. 1955. Notes sur le grottes de la Grèce. Acta Mus. Maced. Sci. Natur. Skopje 3: 41–69
  • Niethammer, J. 1974. Zur verbreitung und taxonomie griechischer säugetiere. Bonn. Zool. Beitr., 25 (1-3): 28-55.
  • Ondrias, J. C. 1965. Die Säugetiere Griechenlands. Säugetierk. Mitt., 13 (3): 109-127.
  • Papadatou, E. 2010. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera): species diversity, distribution and abundance. In Catsadorakis, G. Källander, H. The Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park, Greece: Biodiversity, management and conservation. WWF Greece, Athens. pp. 215-226.
  • Paragamian, K. 1992. Study of the environment of the cave “Alistrati”, Serres before its tourist arrangement. [In Greek with English summary]. Bull. Soc. Speleol. Grèce, 20: 77-94.
  • Paragamian, K., Nikoloudakis, I., Papadatou, E., & Sfakianaki, E. 2004. Biological and Environmental Study of the Cave of Maroneia: Analysis of current status - Proposals. Final Report.. Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research, Irakleion, Greece, 176 pp.
  • Strinati, P. 1955. Recherches biospeologiques en Attique. Stalactite, 5: 7-9.
Citation
Paragamian, K. 2025. Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie, 1901. In Paragamian, K., M. Poulinakis, S. Paragamian and I. Nikoloudakis. Cave fauna of Greece database - Hellenic Institute of Speleological Research. Species data updated 07.09.2023, Accessed 19.05.2025