Bat Fauna of the Western Himalaya of India: a Zoogeographic Perspective
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MAJOR ARTICLE TAPROBANICA , ISSN 1800–427X. April, 2013. Vol. 05, No. 01: pp. 50–59. © Taprobanica Private Limited, 146, Kendalanda, Homagama, Sri Lanka. www.taprobanica.org BAT FAUNA OF THE WESTERN HIMALAYA OF INDIA: A ZOOGEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE Sectional Editor: Judith Eger Submitted: 7 June 2012, Accepted: 30 November 2012 Uttam Saikia1 and Ananda Ram Boro2 1 North Eastern Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Fruit Garden, Risa Colony, Shillong 793003, India E–mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Zoology, Pandu College, Guwahati, India Abstract A zoogeographic analysis of the chiropteran fauna of western Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is presented. Based on field surveys, study of museum specimens and published literature, 44 species of bats in 20 genera have been reported from the study area. By virtue of its transitional position between the Oriental and Palearctic biogeographic realms, the chiropteran fauna of western Himalaya exhibit an intermixing of elements from both the realms. At the species level, Oriental elements (25 species) dominate Palearctic (17 species) and Ethiopian (1 species) components, while the zoogeographic affinity of one species, Miniopterus schreibersii, is indeterminate. Some zoogeographic aspects influencing the present faunal composition of the region are also discussed. Considering the lack of studies on bat fauna in this part of the Himalaya, it is expected that intensive studies will shed new light into the zoogeography of these lesser known mammals. Key words: Chiroptera, species diversity, zoogeographic affinity, disjunctive distribution Introduction The Himalaya extends over a distance of about country (Nandi et al., 2000) and it is further 2500 km between 26o 20’ – 35o 40’ N and 74o divided into Northeastern Himalaya comprising 50’ – 95o40’ E (Ives & Messeril, 1989). The the states of Northeastern India, Central range is geographically partitioned into Eastern Himalaya including Uttarakhand State and Himalaya, Central Himalaya, Western Western Himalaya consisting of the states of Himalaya and Northwest Himalaya (Mani, Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Jammu & Kashmir 1974a). Within Indian limits, Himalaya (J&K) (Ahmed et al., 1990). By virtue of occupies an area of 531,250 km2 comprising exceptional diversity and endemicity of life 16.6% of the total geographical area of the forms, Himalaya is recognized as one of the 34 50 TAPROBANICA VOL. 05: NO. 01 BAT FAUNA OF THE WESTERN HIMALAYA OF INDIA biodiversity hotspots of the world (Mittermier Plecotus wardi (earlier treated under P. et al., 2004). Biogeographically, the Himalaya austriacus, this taxon is presently considered constitutes a transition zone between the distinct – Spitzenberger et al., 2006) and Palearctic and the Indo–Malayan realms and an Myotis meinertzhageni (=M. nipalensis) intermixing of species from both realms is (Simons, 2005) from the Ladakh area. The evident in its faunal composition (Corbett & mammal survey organized by the Bombay Hill, 1992). Tremendous altitudinal gradient of Natural History Society during 1912–1920 the mountain range results in topographic generated momentum for mammalian studies variations and consequent multiplicity of in the Indian subcontinent and as a part of that ecosystems harbouring different ecological the western Himalayan region was also communities. Thus, the mesmerizing surveyed by workers like Major Stockley and biodiversity of the region is the consequence of H. W. Wells. The report on the Chamba and complex interplay between biogeographic, Kangra areas of HP was published by Lindsay altitudinal and topographic factors. (1927) and that of Kashmir (covering the Islamabad District of Pakistan–occupied Bats (order Chiroptera) constitute one of the Kashmir) and Punjab by Hinton and Thomas most species–rich and ubiquitous mammalian (1926). The reports included a number of orders, comprising over 1100 species species from western Himalaya, namely (Simmons, 2005). The order consists of two Pteropus giganteus, Rhinolophus suborders: Yinpterochiroptera comprising the ferrumequinum tragatus, Pipistrellus javanicus families Pteropodidae, Rhinolophidae, (as P. babu in Lindsay, 1927), Nyctalus noctula Megadermatidae, Craseonycteridae and (as N. labiatus in Lindsay, 1927), Nyctalus Rhinopomatidae; and Yangochiroptera leisleri, Myotis nipalensis (as M. muricola in encompassing the families Emballonuridae, Lindsay, 1927), Myotis muricola and Plecotus Nycteridae, Phyllostomidae, Mormoopidae, wardi. During 1966–1970, H. R. Bhat and his Noctilionidae, Furipteridae, Thyropteridae, associates of the National Institute of Virology Mystacinidae, Myzopodidae, Vespertilionidae, in Pune surveyed various parts of Western Molossidae and Natalidae (Teeling et al., Himalaya for a study on vertebrate 2005). In the Indian subcontinent, the order is ectoparasites. They collected and documented represented by 121 species belonging to 37 several bat species from Himachal Pradesh genera and eight families, of which 112 species including Plecotus homochrous (as P. auritus) in 33 genera and eight families occur within from Ratandi, Shimla district, which was the India (Srinivasalu & Srinivasalu, 2001). first report of this species from the state (Bhat et al., 1983). Sharma & Sharma (1976) reported The first report on the bat fauna of western some mammal species from Jammu valley Himalaya was that of Dobson (1872), who including Pipistrellus mimus (=P. tenuis). Nath described Vespertilio macropus (=Myotis (1979, 1985, 1987) also reported a number of longipes) from the Bhima Devi area of Kashmir bat species from Kashmir valley like valley. Subsequently, he described Vespertilio Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. coromandra, P. murinoides (=Myotis blythii) from the Chamba paterculus and Otonycteris hemprichi. area of HP (erstwhile Punjab) (Dobson, 1873). Chakraborty (1983) provided an account on the Blanford, (1888–1891) in his “Fauna of British mammalian fauna of J&K including 27 species India” book, also listed a few bat species from of bats from the state. The comprehensive work this region like Myotis muricola from of Bates and Harrison (1997) enumerated a Dalhousie and Shimla and Barbastella total of 33 species of bats in J&K and HP. Of leucomelas from Shimla. Subsequently, Allen late, a number of species, namely Rhinolophus (1908) reported Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, luctus, R. affinis, Hipposideros armiger, Scotophilus kuhlii and Scotoecus pallidus from Hipposideros fulvus, Miniopterus schreibersii Kullu valley of HP. Dodsworth (1913) recorded and Myotis siligorensis, are added to the seven species of bats, namely Pteropus chiropteran inventory of the region including giganteus, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum range extensions of a few (Saikia et al., 2004, tragatus, Nyctalus montanus, N. labiatus, 2006). Recently, Saikia et al. (2011) gave a Myotis muricola, M. blythii and Pipistrellus detailed account on the Chiroptera of HP, coromandra from Shimla and the adjoining hill however, such consolidated information is region. Thomas (1911, 1926) described lacking for J&K. This article tries to collate 51 TAPROBANICA VOL. 05: NO. 01 SAIKIA & BORO, 2013 together the available information on the same 1500–3000m and features two subtypes, the and to present it in the light of past Himalayan moist temperate subtype which zoogeographic history. contains Quercus spp., Cedrus deodara, and Pinus wallichiana and the Himalayan dry Study area temperate subtype mainly consisting of The western Himalayan states of HP and J&K Quercus ilex and Pinus gerardiana, (D) Sub– 2 cover an area of 278,325 km and spread alpine forest: usually found between 3000– o o o o between 30 18’–36 58’ N and 72 30’–79 04’ 3400m and consists of species like Betula utilis, E (Mehta & Julka, 2002). Biogeographically, Abies spectabilis and Rhododendron the area comes under two biogeographic zones, campanulatum, and (E) Dry Alpine scrub: the Himalaya and the Trans–Himalaya consisting of scrubs of Rhododendron encompassing three biotic provinces (Rodger & campanulatum or Juniperus communis at Panwar, 1988). Four parallel physiographic altitudes between 3200–3800m (Mehta & zones in the region are distinguished from Julka, 2002). south to north, namely, the Shiwalik Himalaya, the Lesser Himalaya, the Great Himalaya and Materials and Methods the Trans–Himalaya. The Shiwalik is the Information on species diversity presented in outermost foothills zone comprising several this account is based on the first author’s highly eroded low ridges and is normally below collections and observations during field an elevation of 1500m. Districts of Sirmour, surveys in various parts of HP, the chiropteran Solan, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una and parts of collection at the High Altitude Regional Centre, Chamba and Kangra in HP and the Jammu the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Solan, valley in J&K are included in this zone. The and also published literature including museum Lesser Himalaya runs from north of the catalogues. For J&K State, the data on diversity Shiwalik and parallel to the Great Himalayan is almost entirely based on published range. Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar are the main information except for H. fulvus (based on a mountain ranges in this zone. North of the Pir specimen at ZSI, Solan). For comparison of Panjal range lies the Kashmir valley. The Great faunal similarity, the Simpson’s coefficient Himalayan ranges lie towards the north of (S=NC (100)/N1, where NC = number of taxa Kashmir valley, the Chandrabhaga River in shared by both