Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern India
<p><em>Otomops wroughtoni</em> is an extremely rare molossid bat, known so far by a single breeding colony in southwestern India and two single individuals recorded in Meghalaya and Cambodia. We report here the discovery of three new roosts located in large karstic caves of the Ja...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society
2014-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Threatened Taxa |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/1718 |
| _version_ | 1811222778409385984 |
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| author | Manuel Ruedi D. Khlur B. Mukhim Oana Mirela Chachula Thomas Arbenz Adora Thabah |
| author_facet | Manuel Ruedi D. Khlur B. Mukhim Oana Mirela Chachula Thomas Arbenz Adora Thabah |
| author_sort | Manuel Ruedi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p><em>Otomops wroughtoni</em> is an extremely rare molossid bat, known so far by a single breeding colony in southwestern India and two single individuals recorded in Meghalaya and Cambodia. We report here the discovery of three new roosts located in large karstic caves of the Jaintia Hills, in southeastern Meghalaya. Visual counts indicate that at least 90 individuals occupied these new roosts in February 2014, which doubles the known world population of this species. The new populations of Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bats from the Jaintia Hills have considerable value for the conservation of this elusive species. Although these bats are protected under national laws, their cave roosts and hunting habitats are subjected to severe and ongoing degradation. A protection plan that would include more extensive surveys and a strict conservation of these caves should be implemented rapidly to mitigate these threats.</p><div> </div> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:21:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-850ac5ccfe5f4d4da61d4cc0d47aa0cb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0974-7893 0974-7907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:21:09Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Threatened Taxa |
| spelling | doaj.art-850ac5ccfe5f4d4da61d4cc0d47aa0cb2022-12-22T03:40:35ZengWildlife Information Liaison Development SocietyJournal of Threatened Taxa0974-78930974-79072014-12-016146677668210.11609/jott.1718.6677-66821632Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern IndiaManuel Ruedi0D. Khlur B. Mukhim1Oana Mirela Chachula2Thomas Arbenz3Adora Thabah4Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology, Natural History Museum of Geneva, BP 6434, 1211 Geneva 6, SwitzerlandZoology department, Lady Keane College, Shillong, Meghalaya 793001, IndiaNational Museum of Romanian History, Calea Victoriei street 12, 030026 Bucharest, RomaniaCaving in the Abode of Clouds Project, Emetstrasse 34, 4713, Matzendorf, SwitzerlandSolar View Cottage, Upper Mawprem Shillong, Meghalaya 793002, India<p><em>Otomops wroughtoni</em> is an extremely rare molossid bat, known so far by a single breeding colony in southwestern India and two single individuals recorded in Meghalaya and Cambodia. We report here the discovery of three new roosts located in large karstic caves of the Jaintia Hills, in southeastern Meghalaya. Visual counts indicate that at least 90 individuals occupied these new roosts in February 2014, which doubles the known world population of this species. The new populations of Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bats from the Jaintia Hills have considerable value for the conservation of this elusive species. Although these bats are protected under national laws, their cave roosts and hunting habitats are subjected to severe and ongoing degradation. A protection plan that would include more extensive surveys and a strict conservation of these caves should be implemented rapidly to mitigate these threats.</p><div> </div>http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/1718Breeding colonyconservationEndangered speciesJaintia HillsMolossidaenew roostsOtomops wroughtoni. |
| spellingShingle | Manuel Ruedi D. Khlur B. Mukhim Oana Mirela Chachula Thomas Arbenz Adora Thabah Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern India Journal of Threatened Taxa Breeding colony conservation Endangered species Jaintia Hills Molossidae new roosts Otomops wroughtoni. |
| title | Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern India |
| title_full | Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern India |
| title_fullStr | Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern India |
| title_short | Discovery of new colonies of the rare Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat Otomops wroughtoni (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Molossidae) in Meghalaya, northeastern India |
| title_sort | discovery of new colonies of the rare wroughton s free tailed bat otomops wroughtoni mammalia chiroptera molossidae in meghalaya northeastern india |
| topic | Breeding colony conservation Endangered species Jaintia Hills Molossidae new roosts Otomops wroughtoni. |
| url | http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/1718 |
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