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Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Communication Bat diversity in the Banpale forest, Pokhara, Nepal during spring season Prabhat Kiran Bhatarai, Basant Sharma, Anisha Neupane, Sunita Kunwar & Pratyush Dhungana 26 May 2021 | Vol. 13 | No. 6 | Pages: 18479–18489 DOI: 10.11609/jot.6263.13.6.18479-18489 For Focus, Scope, Aims, and Policies, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/aims_scope For Artcle Submission Guidelines, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/policies_various For reprints, contact <[email protected]> The opinions expressed by the authors do not refect the views of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, Wildlife Informaton Liaison Development Society, Zoo Outreach Organizaton, or any of the partners. 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Member Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 May 2021 | 13(6): 18479–18489 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) OPEN ACCESS htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.6263.13.6.18479-18489 #6263 | Received 03 June 2020 | Final received 18 July 2020 | Finally accepted 14 April 2021 COMMUNICATION Bat diversity in the Banpale forest, Pokhara, Nepal during spring season Prabhat Kiran Bhatarai 1 , Basant Sharma 2 , Anisha Neupane 3 , Sunita Kunwar 4 & Pratyush Dhungana 5 1,3,4,5 Bat Friends Pokhara, Hariyokharka, Pokhara 15, Kaski, 33700, Nepal. 1,3,4,5 Tribhuvan University, Insttute of Forestry, Hariyokharka, Pokhara 15, Kaski, 33700, Nepal. 2 Nepal Bat Research and Conservaton Union (NeBRCU), Batulechour, Pokhara 16, Kaski, 33700, Nepal. 2 Faculty of Science, Health and Technology, Nepal Open University, Lalitpur, 44700, Nepal. 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected], 4 [email protected], 5 [email protected] Abstract: Bat research in Nepal is limited and most areas remain to be explored. Sparse research has been conducted in the Banpale forest and to improve the understanding of bat diversity, an updated species checklist was prepared. Trapping surveys using mist nets were conducted at four diferent locatons in the forest from March to May 2018. This survey identfed 55 individuals belonging to eight species within eight genera and four families. Trapping locatons near less disturbed forest edges and water resources were found to have higher bat diversity compared to highly disturbed areas (e.g., landslides and logging areas). With informaton from survey and secondary source, we conclude that Banpale forest harbours 10 of the 53 bat species found in Nepal. We recommend adoptng practces to conserve the forest from landslides and minimizing illegal logging to conserve bat forest habitats. Keywords: Checklist, Chiroptera, edge, habitat, logging, trapping. Nepali: g]kfndf rd]/f cg';Gwfg s]lx cWoogdf dfq ;Lldt 5g\ / clwsf+z If]qx? cGj]if0f ug}{ afFsL 5g\ . jgkfn] h+undf klg cg';Gwfgsf sfo{x? cToGt} Go"g x'g] u/]sfn] xfdLn] oxfFsf] rd]/f ljljwtf a'‰g rd]/f k|hfltsf] ;"rL cBfjlws u/]sf5f}+ . @)!* dfr{ b]lv d] dlxgfdf jgkfn] h+unsf] rf/ ljleGg :yfgdf ld:6g]6 k|of]u u/]/ ul/Psf] ;j]{If0fdf xfdLn] rf/ kl/jf/, cf7 h]g]/f tyf cf7 k|hfltsf hDdf %% j6f rd]/fx¿ ks8\of}+ . o; cg';Gwfgdf klx/f] tyf jgkmF8fgL ePsf If]qsf] t'ngfdf dfgj x:tIf]k Go"g ePsf jgsf] lsgf/f÷5]p / kfgLsf d'xfg glhs rd]/fsf k|hflt a9L e]l6P . k|fylds / låtLo >f]t cWoog kl/0ffd cg';f/ g]kfndf kfOg] s'n %# k|hflt dWo] jgkfn]df !) j6f rd]/f k|hflt kfOg] k'li6 ePsf] 5 . o; cWoog cg';f/ rd]/fsf] jf;:yfg arfpg jgkfn] h+undf klx/f] lj?4 ;+/If0fsf cEof;x? ckgfpg'kg]{ tyf cj}w jg ljgf; lgoGq0f ug{'kg]{ b]lvG5 . Nepali: g]kfndf rd]/f cg';Gwfg s]lx cWoogdf dfq ;Lldt 5g\ / clwsf+z If]qx? cGj]if0f ug}{ afFsL 5g\ . jgkfn] h+undf klg cg';Gwfgsf sfo{x? cToGt} Go"g x'g] u/]sfn] xfdLn] oxfFsf] rd]/f ljljwtf a'‰g rd]/f k|hfltsf] ;"rL cBfjlws u/]sf5f}+ . @)!* dfr{ b]lv d] dlxgfdf jgkfn] h+unsf] rf/ ljleGg :yfgdf ld:6g]6 k|of]u u/]/ ul/Psf] ;j]{If0fdf xfdLn] rf/ kl/jf/, cf7 h]g]/f tyf cf7 k|hfltsf hDdf %% j6f rd]/fx¿ ks8\of}+ . o; cg';Gwfgdf klx/f] tyf jgkmF8fgL ePsf If]qsf] t'ngfdf dfgj x:tIf]k Go"g ePsf jgsf] lsgf/f÷5]p / kfgLsf d'xfg glhs rd]/fsf k|hflt a9L e]l6P . k|fylds / låtLo >f]t cWoog kl/0ffd cg';f/ g]kfndf kfOg] s'n %# k|hflt dWo] jgkfn]df !) j6f rd]/f k|hflt kfOg] k'li6 ePsf] 5 . o; cWoog cg';f/ rd]/fsf] jf;:yfg arfpg jgkfn] h+undf klx/f] lj?4 ;+/If0fsf cEof;x? ckgfpg'kg]{ tyf cj}w jg ljgf; lgoGq0f ug{'kg]{ b]lvG5 . Editor: Anonymity requested. Date of publicaton: 26 May 2021 (online & print) Citaton:Nepali: gBhatarai,]kfndf rd]/f cg';GwfgP.K., B. Sharma,s]lx cWoogdf A. dfq Neupane, ;Lldt 5g\ S./ clwsf+zKunwar If]qx? & P.cGj]if0f Dhungana ug}{ afFsL (2021).5g\ . jgkfn] Bat h+undf diversity klg cg';Gwfgsf in the Banpale sfo{x? cToGt} forest, Go"g x'g] Pokhara, u/]sfn] xfdLn] Nepal oxfFsf] during rd]/f ljljwtf spring a'‰g season. rd]/f k|hfltsf] Journal of;"rL Threatened cBfjlws u/]sf5f}+ Taxa . @)!* 13(6): dfr{ 18479–18489. b]lv d] dlxgfdf jgkfn] htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot. h+unsf] rf/ ljleGg :yfgdf ld:6g]6 k|of]u6263.13.6.18479-18489 u/]/ ul/Psf] ;j]{If0fdf xfdLn] rf/ kl/jf/, cf7 h]g]/f tyf cf7 k|hfltsf hDdf %% j6f rd]/fx¿ ks8\of}+ . o; cg';Gwfgdf klx/f] tyf jgkmF8fgL ePsf If]qsf] t'ngfdf dfgj x:tIf]k Go"g ePsf jgsf] lsgf/f÷5]p / kfgLsf d'xfg glhs rd]/fsf k|hflt a9L e]l6P . k|fylds / låtLo >f]t cWoog kl/0ffd cg';f/ g]kfndf kfOg] s'n %# k|hflt dWo] Copyright:jgkfn]df !) ©j6f Bhataraird]/f k|hflt etkfOg] al. k'li6 2021. ePsf] Creatve5 . o; cWoog Commons cg';f/ rd]/fsf] Atributon jf;:yfg arfpg 4.0 Internatonal jgkfn] h+undf klx/f] License. lj?4 ;+/If0fsf JoTT cEof;x? allows ckgfpg'kg]{unrestricted tyf cj}w use, jg reproducton,ljgf; lgoGq0f ug{'kg]{ and b]lvG5 distributon . of this artcle in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton. Funding: “Bats Survey and Conservaton Outreach Programs along Kaligandaki Canyon, Nepal” funded by Ruford Foundaton UK. Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests. Author details: Prabhat Kiran Bhatarai is BSc forestry student and an executve member of Bat Friends Pokhara. Basant Sharma is forestry graduate and is currently working as an executve member of Nepal Bat Research and Conservaton Union (NeBRCU). Anisha Neupane is BSc forestry student and is currently working as coordinator of Bat Friends Pokhara. Sunita Kunwar is BSc forestry student and is currently working as vice-coordinator at Bat Friends Pokhara. Pratyush Dhungana is BSc forestry student and is currently secretary at Bat Friends Pokhara. Author contributons: PKB—research design, data collecton, data analysis and interpretaton, drafing of manuscript, critcal review, and revisions at diferent stages. BS—conceptualizaton, methodology design, feld work, species identfcaton, critcal review, draf review and edit. AN—feld works and draf review. SK—feld works and draf review. PD—feld works and draf review. Acknowledgements: This study was conducted during training to the members of Bat Friends Pokhara under the project “Bats Survey and Conservaton Outreach Programs along Kaligandaki Canyon, Nepal” funded by Ruford Foundaton UK. We are grateful for their fnancial support to perform this study. We are thankful to Insttute of Forestry, Pokhara for providing permission to carry out bat trapping in the forest. We would like to thank Sanjeev Baniya, Chiranjeevi Khanal, Sanjaya Raj Tamang, Shristee Panthee, and Chandan guys for their contnuous support and motvaton for the study. We are grateful to Hari Adhikari for reviewing the artcle. 18479 J TT Bat diversity in the Banpale forest, Nepal Bhatarai et al. INTRODUCTION 2019; Baniya 2018; Sharma et al. 2018a,b; Baniya et al. 2019) but most remain unpublished (e.g., in student Bats (Chiroptera) are highly diverse (Hutson et al. theses). Adhikari (2008) and Giri (2009) reported 18 2001; Voigt & Kingston 2016) and found throughout the bat species, 16 caves, and two roostng sites of Pteropus globe, except in the Antarctc and a few oceanic Islands giganteus (Brünnich, 1782) from the Pokhara valley. (Mickleburgh et al. 2002). They provide many ecological Pokhrel & Budha (2014) studied food habit of insectvore and economic services such as pollinaton, seed species from Mahendra cave. Sharma (2016) conducted dispersal, agricultural pest suppression, and material diet analysis of Pteropus giganteus from Chinnedanda & nutrient distributon (Fujita & Tutle 1991; Kunz et al. and later Sharma et al.