First image-based evidence of Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Thomas, 1913) (Chiroptera: Molossidae) from the Yamuna Floodplain, New Delhi, India

Authors

  • Umendra Sirohi Biodiversity Parks Programme, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3987-2575
  • Mohan Singh Biodiversity Parks Programme, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6173-4297
  • M. Faisal Biodiversity Parks Programme, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
  • Ekta Khurana Biodiversity Parks Programme, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2814-707X
  • Sumit Dookia University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi 110078, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2165-9053
  • Faiyaz A. Khudsar Biodiversity Parks Programme, Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10453.18.7.29340-29344

Keywords:

Additional record, conservation planning, ecological restoration, ecosystem recovery, molossid bat, rare fauna, resilience, urban rewilding, wildlife monitoring, Yamuna Biodiversity Park

Abstract

 The Wroughton’s Free-Tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni is one of the rarest representatives of the family Molossidae globally, presently known from two breeding colonies in the Western Ghats and 
Meghalaya, and a single individual from Cambodia, and Sri Lanka, each. In this paper, we report the first confirmed record of O. wroughtoni from Yamuna Biodiversity Park, New Delhi, on 26 November 2024. This record constitutes a considerable northward range record of the bat species into the Indo-Gangetic Plains. It highlights the role of urban ecological restoration in providing functional habitat for rare fauna, which could help formulate conservation strategies. 

References

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Published

26-07-2026

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 7 (2026)

Section

Short Communications

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Copyright (c) 2026 Umendra Sirohi, Mohan Singh, M. Faisal, Ekta Khurana, Sumit Dookia, Faiyaz A. Khudsar

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