First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in Vietnam
Located within the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Central Vietnam, Son Doong Cave is the world’s largest cave and has become one of the most famous sites for caving tourists and scientists worldwide. It contains highly diverse landscapes and ecosystems with special value in many natural aspects in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/7/534 |
| _version_ | 1797439898922254336 |
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| author | Vu Dinh Thong Howard Limbert Debora Limbert |
| author_facet | Vu Dinh Thong Howard Limbert Debora Limbert |
| author_sort | Vu Dinh Thong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Located within the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Central Vietnam, Son Doong Cave is the world’s largest cave and has become one of the most famous sites for caving tourists and scientists worldwide. It contains highly diverse landscapes and ecosystems with special value in many natural aspects including biodiversity. Bat species are usually regarded as key and fascinating dwellers in cave ecosystems. We recently conducted a bat survey in Son Doong Cave in May 2022 for an initial understanding of the bat species inhabiting this special cave. Bats were captured using mist nets. Echolocation calls were recorded and analyzed using the PCTape system and Batman and Selena software, respectively. Results from the survey confirmed that Son Doong Cave is a home for at least six echolocating bat species of five genera and four families: Hipposideridae (<i>Aselliscus stoliczkanus</i>, <i>Hipposideros scutinares</i>), Rhinolophidae (<i>Rhinolophus thomasi</i>), Molossidae (<i>Mops plicatus</i>) and Vespertilionidae (<i>Myotis pilosus</i> and <i>Myotis</i> cf. <i>muricola</i>). Of these five species, <i>H. scutinares</i> and <i>M. pilosus</i> are listed as globally “vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Among the six captured and recorded species from the Son Doong Cave, each species is clearly distinguishable from the others in terms of morphological features, echolocation call structure and frequencies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:00:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-31b4b31e76fe4c69aebcdf8f8852a2cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:00:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-31b4b31e76fe4c69aebcdf8f8852a2cb2023-11-30T23:04:21ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-06-0114753410.3390/d14070534First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in VietnamVu Dinh Thong0Howard Limbert1Debora Limbert2Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi 11307, VietnamOxalis Adventure, Phong Nha Town, Bo Trach District 511860, Quang Binh Province, VietnamOxalis Adventure, Phong Nha Town, Bo Trach District 511860, Quang Binh Province, VietnamLocated within the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Central Vietnam, Son Doong Cave is the world’s largest cave and has become one of the most famous sites for caving tourists and scientists worldwide. It contains highly diverse landscapes and ecosystems with special value in many natural aspects including biodiversity. Bat species are usually regarded as key and fascinating dwellers in cave ecosystems. We recently conducted a bat survey in Son Doong Cave in May 2022 for an initial understanding of the bat species inhabiting this special cave. Bats were captured using mist nets. Echolocation calls were recorded and analyzed using the PCTape system and Batman and Selena software, respectively. Results from the survey confirmed that Son Doong Cave is a home for at least six echolocating bat species of five genera and four families: Hipposideridae (<i>Aselliscus stoliczkanus</i>, <i>Hipposideros scutinares</i>), Rhinolophidae (<i>Rhinolophus thomasi</i>), Molossidae (<i>Mops plicatus</i>) and Vespertilionidae (<i>Myotis pilosus</i> and <i>Myotis</i> cf. <i>muricola</i>). Of these five species, <i>H. scutinares</i> and <i>M. pilosus</i> are listed as globally “vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Among the six captured and recorded species from the Son Doong Cave, each species is clearly distinguishable from the others in terms of morphological features, echolocation call structure and frequencies.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/7/534batbiodiversityecholocationPhong Nha-Ke BangSon Doong Cave |
| spellingShingle | Vu Dinh Thong Howard Limbert Debora Limbert First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in Vietnam Diversity bat biodiversity echolocation Phong Nha-Ke Bang Son Doong Cave |
| title | First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in Vietnam |
| title_full | First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in Vietnam |
| title_fullStr | First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in Vietnam |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in Vietnam |
| title_short | First Records of Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the World’s Largest Cave in Vietnam |
| title_sort | first records of bats mammalia chiroptera from the world s largest cave in vietnam |
| topic | bat biodiversity echolocation Phong Nha-Ke Bang Son Doong Cave |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/7/534 |
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