Occurrence of bats in protected areas of Nepal: An update on species richness and distribution records

Bat surveys in 20 Protected Areas (PAs) of Nepal are sporadic and/or had targeted purposively a few localities, therefore, bat diversity from the PAs is yet to be explored. Bat species richness in PAs from two reviews until 2011 are inconsistent. In total, seven surveys have been undertaken in six PAs since 2011. Hence, an update and revision on chiropteran account from the PAs of Nepal is warranted. We reviewed available literatures and museum collection records, and further collated and plotted bat occurrence coordinates into the country and mapped them. In total, 44 of 53 bat species in Nepal have been recorded from 12 PAs. Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) reports highest species richness (22) followed by Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park and Buffer Zone (SNNP & BZ) (15), Makalu Barun National Park and Buffer Zone (MBNP & BZ) (14) and Chitwan National Park and Buffer Zone (CNP & BZ) (13). In contrast, survey localities are more in CNP & BZ (12), ACA and SNNP & BZ (equally 11) and MBNP & BZ (10). Species richness increased proportionately with higher survey efforts and including more habitat types in respective PAs. Three species: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rh. pearsonii and Rh. sinicus are recorded from six out of 12 PAs. Pipistrellus javanicus (12), Hipposideros armiger (10), Cynopterus sphinx (9) and Rh. sinicus (9) are recorded from maximum number of surveyed localities in the PAs. All the PAs have limited occurrence records. Therefore, intensive surveys are recommended for understanding actual chiropteran diversity to the PAs of Nepal.

Dispersal Patterns, Mating Strategy and Genetic Diversity in the Short Nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Southern India

The short-nosed fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx is a common plant-visiting bat that is widely distributed throughout the Indo-Malayan region. In this chapter, we discuss the dispersal patterns, mating strategy and genetic diversity in the short-nosed fruit bat C. sphinx. We used a broad-range of techniques, including mark-recapture, radio-telemetry and molecular biology analyses. Our studies uncovered unique aspects of the dispersal, mating system and genetic diversity of these bats. Both the sexes of C. sphinx were found to disperse completely from the natal harems before subadult stage and young female C. sphinx become members of a harem much earlier than their male counterparts. The nonharem males are reproductively active, gain access to harem females and sire more offspring in July–August breeding season than March–April breeding season and presumably obtain some reproductive success. Our molecular study shows that considerable genetic diversity was observed in this species from different zonal populations, possibly due to complete dispersal of juveniles of both the sexes from their natal groups and gene flow between the zones. All these studies suggest not only a predictive framework for future studies, but also the use of these data in the management and meaningful conservation of this species.

Record of bats and their echolocation calls from southern Dolakha, central Nepal

With 52 species, bats make up almost a quarter of all the mammal species in Nepal, and yet remains the least understudied group of mammals. Owing to its diverse geography and climate, more species of bats potentially occur in the country, and acoustic surveys could improve the knowledge of their ecology. So, a study was conducted in Sailung and Melung Rural Municipalities of Dolakha district of Nepal, with the objectives of assessing bat species richness and preparing digital records of their echolocation calls. Using mist-netting and roost survey during three periods in 2018 (late March, late May to early June and mid-November), 10 species of bats were recorded: Cynopterus sphinx, Lyroderma lyra, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus luctus, Rhinolophus pearsonii, Rhinolophus sinicus, Hipposideros armiger, Myotis formosus, Myotis sp. and Nyctalus noctula. Ten roosts (mostly caves) were located. Echolocation calls of six of these species were documented, including signals of three species described for the first time in Nepal. This study also reports the fifth record of Myotis formosus in Nepal and new locality record of the species after two decades. The echolocation calls documented hereafter may serve as a reference for species identification for non-invasive studies of bats.

Sex differences in postprandial blood glucose and body surface temperature are contingent on flight in the fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx

ABSTRACTThe postprandial blood glucose level is very high for the body size in frugivorous bats. Like other homeotherms, bats release heat during digestion of dietary macronutrients. Despite males and females of the same species exhibiting different foraging behaviour, empirical support for sex differences in blood glucose and body surface temperature in fruit bats is poor. Moreover, while flight affects postprandial metabolism, whether such effects are different in each sex of fruit bats is unclear. Here, we studied these questions in the fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx. We first assessed whether there are sex differences in the postprandial level of blood glucose and body surface temperature over time in rested bats. We then assessed whether flight affects outcomes of sex differences in both traits. We found that the estimated marginal means of both traits were generally higher in females than males, in rested bats. Notably, the sex difference in both traits was only significant at specific sampling time of the assay. Further, the trait means significantly differed between the sexes only in the rested, but not active, bats, meaning that signals of sex difference in metabolic traits eroded when bats were active. Taken together, our findings suggest that in C. sphinx, the sex specificity in the expression of metabolic traits is significantly dependent on physical activity.

Studi Keragaman Kelelawar Berdasarkan Perangkap Jaring Kabut di Pusat Latihan Gajah Taman Nasional Way Kambas

Kelelawar, satu-satunya mamalia terbang, dapat terlihat di Taman Nasional Way Kambas (TNWK), termasuk Pusat Latihan Gajah (PLG). Keberadaan kelelawar dipengaruhi oleh struktur fisik habitat, iklim mikro, ketersediaan air dan sumber makanan, serta interaksi dengan satwa liar lainnya. Di Indonesia terdapat 9 dari 18 kelompok kelelawar dunia, yaitu Pteripodidae, Megadermatidae, Nycteridae, Vespertilionidae, Rhinolopidae, Hipposideridae, Emballonuridae, Rhinopomatidae, Molosidae. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menerapkan teknik jaring kabut untuk mempelajari keragaman kelelawar. penangkapan langsung menggunakan mist net dilakukan di 3 titik lokasi, area masjid PLG (lokasi 1), area Rumah Sakit Gajah (lokasi 2), dan area kandang gajah (lokasi 3). Tiga kali ulangan dilakukan selama penangkapan di setiap lokasi. Jumlah kelelawar yang ditangkap (N = 29) terdiri dari 7 spesies, 4 di antaranya adalah kelelawar pemakan buah (Cynopterus minutus, Cynopterus brachyotis, Cynopterus sphinx), Cynopterus titthaecheilus) dan 3 pemakan serangga (Megaderma spasma, Pipistrellus javanicus, dan Scotophilus kuhlili) . Perangkap jaring kabut cocok untuk dilakukan di PLG, TNWK dan keanekaragaman kelelawar representatif diperoleh.