Journal
of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 June 2019 | 11(8): 14071–14074
Odisha’s first record of a free-tailed bat
(Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae): what could it be?
Subrat
Debata 1 & Sharat
Kumar Palita 2
1,2 Department
of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources, Central University of
Orissa, Koraput, Odisha 764021, India.
1 subrat.debata007@gmail.com,
2 skpalita@gmail.com (corresponding author)
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4338.11.8.14071-14074
Editor: Paul
Racey, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK. Date of
publication: 26 June 2019 (online & print)
Manuscript details: #4338 | Received 14 June 2018 | Final received 12 May
2019 | Finally accepted 01 June 2019
Citation: Debata, S. & S.K. Palita (2019). Odisha’s first
record of a free-tailed bat (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae): what could it
be?. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 11(8): 14071–14074. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4338.11.8.14071-14074
Copyright: © Debata &
Palita 2019. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium
by adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: University
Grants Commission, New Delhi.
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: The
study was carried out with financial support under UGC Non-NET PhD fellowship
to the first author. Both the authors would
like to thank the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and the
Field Director of Similipal Tiger Reserve for providing essential permission to
carry out bat surveys in Similipal Biosphere Reserve. Authors are also thankful to Arajush Payra
for sharing the unidentified bat images and Himanshu Shekhar Palei for
preparing the map. Thanks to the
anonymous reviewer for providing valuable comments in improvising the
manuscript.
Bats
are one of the most abundant and widely distributed mammalian groups after
rodents, represented by more than 1,300 species worldwide (Bat Conservation
International 2013). Free-tailed bats
(Molossidae) are the fourth largest family of bats, containing approximately
110 species worldwide (Ammerman et al. 2012).
In general, free-tailed bats are characterised by a robust body,
relatively long and narrow wings, and a free tail projecting beyond the end of
the uropatagium (Srinivasulu et al. 2010).
In India, a total of 125 species of bats were reported (Ruedi et al. 2012;
Srinivasulu & Srinivasulu 2012; Senacha & Dookia 2013; Saikia et al.
2017; Thong et al. 2018), which represents about a quarter of the country’s
mammalian diversity. Still, information on the diversity and distribution of different bat species from different
parts of India is sporadic. In India,
the bat family Molossidae is represented by four species, namely the
Wrinkle-lipped Free-tailed Bat Chaerephon plicatus (Buchanan, 1800),
Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Thomas, 1913), the European
Free-tailed Bat Tadarida teniotis (Rafinesque, 1814), and the Egyptian
Free-tailed bat T. aegyptiaca (É. Geoffroy, 1818) (Bates & Harrison
1997; Srinivasulu & Srinivasulu 2012).
These bats are quite widely distributed throughout the country, except
for Otomops wroughtoni which is known only from five localities in
Karnataka and Meghalaya (Bates & Harrison 1997; Thabah & Bates 2002;
Srinivasulu & Srinivasulu 2012; Ruedi et al. 2014) and Tadarida teniotis
from a single locality in West Bengal (Hill 1963) (Table 1). Among these bats, Chaerephon plicatus
and Otomops wroughtoni can be clearly distinguished from the other two
species in having a membrane between the ears over the forehead (Bates &
Harrison 1997; Srinivasulu et al. 2010).
Among all the four species of free-tailed bats occurring in India, Otomops
wroughtoni is a very rare species and is legally protected under Schedule I
of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Odisha
is one of the eastern coastal states of India and its bat fauna is represented
by 25 species in seven families (Debata et al. 2016). To our present knowledge, there is no report
on the occurrence of any free-tailed bats from Odisha. In this communication based on examination of
a pup, we report the occurrence of a free-tailed bat in the state.
During
a regular survey of bat roosting sites in Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in
northern Odisha from September 2014 to August 2017, a pup of an unidentified
bat (Image 1a,b) was spotted laying over a rock
adjoining Sitakund Waterfall in the northeastern side of SBR (Fig. 1;
21.924°N & 86.570°E; 303m). Bat
guano was present at the location where the pup was found and the screaming
sound of bats from an inaccessible cliff above was audible (Image 1c). The recorded location is situated along a
riparian zone of moist deciduous forest adjoining a perennial hill stream of
Sitakund Waterfall. The sighting
location also falls within the boundary of Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary and
Tiger Reserve. As we did not have
permission to collect any specimens from protected areas, we took close-up
images using a Fujifilm Finepix HS 10 digital camera and noted the
morphological characters of the pup for identification.
The
pup was characterised by a free tail, wrinkled lips, and strong and stout hind
feet (Image 1a,b) and thus belongs to the Molossidae family as per the
descriptions provided by Bates & Harrison (1997) and Srinivasulu et al.
(2010). The species-level identity of
the pup could not be confirmed as we could not collect the pup or capture any
adult from the inaccessible roost for further examination (Image 1c). As the base of the ears of the pup was
connected by a membrane over the forehead (Image 1a,b), however, we narrowed
down the unidentified pup to either Chaerephon plicatus or Otomops
wroughtoni.
Chaerephon
plicatus is widely distributed in India and was recorded from
different localities in Andhra Pradesh to Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West
Bengal (Bates & Harrison 1997; Srinivasulu & Srinivasulu 2012);
therefore, there is a possibility of its occurrence in the forests of SBR. On the other hand, Otomops wroughtoni is
a rare species and is restricted to a few localities in Karnataka and Meghalaya
(Bates & Harrison 1997; Thabah & Bates 2002; Srinivasulu &
Srinivasulu 2012; Ruedi et al. 2014). As
the known distribution range for this species is quite disjunct so far, a
continuous population covering the forested regions of eastern India may be
possible.
Although
the present study could not confirm the species-level identification of the
examined pup, we can at least confirm the occurrence of molossid bats in
Odisha. As the locality is within the
Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve
area, we did not get permission to deploy mist nets at night. We, therefore, propose acoustic monitoring in
future inventories, which can help reveal the identity of the species. This can also aid in revising the
distribution record of the proposed species in India.
Table
1. Diversity and distribution of
free-tailed bats (Family: Molossidae) in India.
|
Species |
Common
name |
Distribution
in India |
1 |
Chaerephon
plicatus |
Wrinkle-lipped
Free-tailed Bat |
Andhra Pradesh,
Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. |
2 |
Otomops
wroughtoni |
Wroughton’s
Free-tailed Bat |
Karnataka
and Meghalaya. |
3 |
Tadarida
teniotis |
European
Free-tailed Bat |
West Bengal. |
4 |
T.
aegyptiaca |
Egyptian
Free-tailed Bat |
Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. |
For image/ figure – click here
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