Small Mammal Mail Newsletter celebrating the most useful yet most neglected Mammals for CCINSA & RISCINSA -- Chiroptera, Rodent, Insectivore, & Scandens Conservation and Information Networks of South Asia Volume 1 Number 2 Aug-Dec 2009 Greetings Batters and Ratters ! Contents We have had no complaints as yet about the combination of the two taxa fondly referred as “bats ‘n rats” in our New Network Members CCINSA / RISCINSA newsletter, or our training workshops which have covered P. 2 both taxa for a long time. BCI has a New Leader, P. 2 This half of the year, we conducted two seperate training workshops that were very different. The first was in Importance of monitoring non-volant small mammals in Bhutan, a field techniques training workshop held often in the Western Ghats, Meena Venkatraman, Pp. 3-7 the outdoors, and the second was a taxonomy and ecolation Opinion, Rajith Dissanayake, P. 8 training held in India at the famous MKU Bat Lab as well as an occasional foray out to test the echolator. Bats of Nepal, Hari Adhikari, Pp. 9-16 Another interesting information is that IUCN SSC has Conservation status of rodents in Sri Lanka, Mayuri requested the Chiroptera Specialist Group to change its R. Wijesinghe, Pp. 17-18 name to Bat Specialist Group. We will not change our Notes on Breeding Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa network name...we will remain CCINSA. indica) at Mysore Zoo, Lakshminarasimha R and Anil Good wishes, Sally Walker, Convenor Garg, Pp. 19-20 Flex Board at Nagarjuna Reporting from Godawari, Sanjan Thapa, Suchieta Shrestha, Sagar Dahal, Arjun Thapa and Rameshwor Kaphle, Pp. 21-23 Lunar Phobia in a Microchiropteran Bat, Hipposideros speoris, S. Suthakar Isaac, Pp. 24-25 The Threat of Climate Change, R.A. Adams, Pp. 26-28 The Training Tale of Hari Adhikari, S. Walker, Pp. 29- 30 Sighting of the Lesser False Vampire Bat Megaderma spasma in Phansad WildlifeSanctuary, Dist. Raigad, Maharashtra, India. Nikhil Bhopale1 and Kavita Malya, Pp. 31 Netting technique, capture and handling of Pteropus giganteus, Sudhakaran M.R. and Swamidoss, D.P., Pp. 31- 32 Obituary - Prof. Dr. A. Gopalakrishna, P. 33 Training in Field techniques for Small mammals, Bhutan, Sonam Choden and R. Marimuthu, Pp. 34-38 Bat Taxonomy and Echolocation Workshop for Researchers at M.K.U., B.A. Daniel, Pp. 39-44 On 11 July, 2009 Small Mammals Conservation and Public Education on Bats throughout India using Research Foundation, SMCRF displayed a 4x3 square feet materials funded by BCI, Pp. 45-46 flex board at the Nagarjuna Peace Cave, Kathmandu. The board includes the information and importance of bats and Announcement: Bat Biology and Conservation it’s conservation aspect. The objective of the program is Workshop. P 47 to create an awareness on conservation of bats to locals and tourists visiting the caves. Sanjan Thapa Small Mammal Mail - Bi-Annual Newsletter of CCINSA & RISCINSA combined 1 Volume 1, Number 2, Aug-Dec 2009 Bats of Nepal Hari Adhikari Introduction Additional information on locality records and habitat The present knowledge on bats of Nepal is incomplete preferences has been provided by Worth & Shah due to insufficient surveys. Based on the different (1969) and Chesemore (1970) (see Mitchell 1980). published literatures and research done on different parts of Nepal, 58 species of bats belonging to 25 Between 1967 to 1970, five new species of bats were genera are reported to exist and other 23 species of collected from districts of Banke, Dang-Deokhuri, 18 genera of bats have the possibility of occuring in Ilam and Sindu (Mitchell 1980). Myotis csorboi was the country. Cynopterus brachyotis and Sphaerias collected 4km east of Syangja, at 1300m elevation, blanfordi have been referenced in different Syangja District, about 30km south of Pokhara Town, literatures with scarce information and their presence Nepal by Dr. G. Csorba on 23 July 1995 and deposited in Nepal is uncertain. Nepal has high diversity in in the Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural geographical and topographical features, which has History Museum, Budapest. G.Y. Topal made a led to the presence of many bat species. Extremely statistical analysis of some other species of the remote areas and mountains have not been surveyed, subgenus Leuconoe (Vespertilionidae) to describe this which may have the possibility of supporting as yet species as new to science (Topal 1997). undescribed species. In the absence of legal protection, survival of these species is threatened. During the further zoological expeditions by the staff of the Hungarian Museum in Southeast Asia, the Bat research conducted in the past in Nepal reveals specimen of Ia io was collected for the first time many new species for the country. History of from Nepal in Gandaki Province Bimalnagar, Sidda Chiroptera research dates back to 1823 when Brian H. Ghupa (Monk Cave), 750m. Altogether four males and Hodgson collected mammals till 1843 which laid the two females were collected by G. Csorba, Gy. Laszlo, foundation of Himalayan mammalogy (Hinton et al. G. Ronkay and L. Ronkay (Csorba 1998). 1923). Hodgson reported 11 genera and 17 species (Gray 1863) and Scully (1888) recorded nine genera On the second half of the 20th century, some Russian and 19 species (see Mitchell 1980). and Hungarian expeditions came to Nepal for the purpose of collecting voucher specimens of bats for After a century of Hodgsons collection, mammals museums and making field observations. Specimens of were collected from August 1920 to March 1921 by Lt. Ia io, Murina cyclotis and Kerivoula hardwickii Col. R.L. Kennion with the assistance of the Societys represent first records of these species from Nepal Collector, N.A. Baptista. This expedition led to while Myotis csorbai proved to be new species. 23 conformation of bat species, and some new species species were conformed for their existence in Nepal were also found. Altogether 23 species of bats were and checklist of 51 bat species known to date from identified (Hinton et al. 1923). Later during the the territory of Nepal (Cscorba et al. 1999). period 17 May 1922 to 17 May 1923, N.A. Baptista working in the districts lying to the west of Kathmandu With the aim of improving knowledge of bat fauna of collected some 591 specimens, most of which belong to the especially poorly known lowlands of southwestern species to which references was made in the above Nepal, bat expedition work in and around the Royal mentioned Report. Three new bat species not referred Chitwan National Park, Chitwan District, and a small in previous report were observed (Fry 1925). collection in Kathmandu was done during March 1990, resulted in the capture of 143 specimens of bats, E. In 1948-1949, S. Dillon Ripley led a field party to spelaea and E. dimissus were reported from the first Nepal to collect natural history specimens for Yale time from Nepal, and the presence of Miniopterus University and the Smithsonian Institution. One- pusillus and Kerivoula picta was verified. Based on the hundred-twelve specimens of mammals were obtained. distributions in neighboring areas, however, we Subsequently, the study showed that of 35 species suspect that at least 40 additional species might be represented, two species of bats (Scotophilus heathii expected to occur in Nepal (Myers 2000). heathii and Cynopterus sphinx gangeticus) were found. Books on mammals of Nepal including bats species The Long-eared Bat, Plecotus homochrous was (Shrestha 1997) is full of taxonomic inconsistencies. collected from the Mustang District of Nepal by Sanborn (1950). Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1966) Coordinator, Natural Resources Research and Conser- list nine genera and 17 species of bats in their vation Center (NaReCon) & Country Representative, IUCN checklist of Palearctic and Indian mammals. SSC Chiroptera Specialist Group CSG. [email protected], [email protected], Small Mammal Mail - Bi-Annual Newsletter of CCINSA & RISCINSA combined 9 Volume 1, Number 2, Aug-Dec 2009 Compilation on bats of Nepal based on museum References: specimens and literature reviews is provided by Bates Acharya P.R. & L.A. Ruedas 2007. The Bat Fauna of & Harrison (1997). Based on literature review, the Nepal: A current prospectus. BatNet CCINSA Newsletter most recent compilation of mammals of Nepal is 8(1-2). supplied by Baral & Shah (2008). Some research has Acharya, P.R. 2006. Distribution of Roosting and been carried by young Nepalese researchers (Phuyal Survival Threats of Bat in Pokhara Valley with Reference 2005; Acharya 2006; Aryal et al. 2009; Thapa et al. to Species and Population Survey at Chamere Gupha. A 2009) in eastern, central and some of the western Dissertation Submitted to the Central Department of parts of Nepal. After special training on volant and Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. non-volant mammals organized by Zoo Outreach Adhikari, H. 2008. Bat Conservation Takes Root in Nepal, Organization in 2007 bat research has been BATS, Bat Conservation International Newsletter, frequently done in Nepal. Adhikari found eight www.batcon.org 26(4):9-10. species of bats from Palpa District, which are Adhikari, H. 2008a. Bat Species Richness and Their recorded for the first time from this district. Voucher Distribution in Pokhara Valley of Nepal. The Initiation, specimens preserved in 70% ethanol were prepared Annual Publication of Student Forum for Forestry and deposited in NaReCon. Checklist on bats of Nepal Research and Environment Conservation (SUFFREC), Volume based on literature reviews (Acharya et al. 2007; 1, Year -2. Adhikari 2008a) and field surveys from Districts like Adhikari, H. & K.C.M. 2008. One Day Training Kaski, Tanahun, Kathmandu Valley, and some eastern Programme on Bat, Organized at Bat Cave, Pokhara, Nepal, regions of Nepal are available. Midwestern and far BATNET, Newsletter of the Chiroptera Conservation and western parts of Nepal have not been surveyed yet. Information Network of South Asia, (CCINSA) and the From both taxonomical and zoo-geographical point of IUCN SSC Chiroptera Specialist Group of South Asia 9(1) view, the forested parts of the Himalaya main range JanJuly: 21 22.