Researchers find 2 new bat species in India

Shillong, Jul 7 (PTI) A team of researchers from India and Hungary has recorded two bat species in the country for the first time during surveys in Mizoram, according to a study. The study, led by researchers from the Zoological Survey of India, Shillong, in collaboration with scientists from other Indian institutions and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, documented the first-ever occurrence of the 'Glischropus bucephalus' and the 'Myotis indochinensis' in the country. With the latest discoveries, India's known bat diversity has increased to at least 138 species, further highlighting the global conservation significance of the forests of Northeast India, the researchers said. Published in the journal Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, the findings significantly extend the known distribution of both species from Southeast Asia into South Asia and underscore the rich but poorly documented biodiversity of Northeast India. The discoveries were made during extensive field surveys conducted across Mizoram between 2023 and 2025. The bats were identified through detailed morphological examinations, molecular genetic analyses and echolocation studies. Until now, the Indo-Chinese thick-thumbed bat (Glischropus bucephalus) was known only from Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. Its discovery in Serchhip district of Mizoram extends its known range by about 670 km westwards from its previously recorded westernmost locality in Myanmar, the researchers said. Similarly, the Indo-Chinese mouse-eared bat ('Myotis indochinensis'), previously recorded only from Vietnam, Laos and southern China, was found in Reiek, Mizoram, extending its known distribution by nearly 1,300 km westwards. The researchers also said that a recently published genetic sequence from Bangladesh, currently assigned to another bat species, likely belongs to Myotis indochinensis. "If confirmed, it would indicate that the species is more widely distributed across South Asia than previously believed," they said. "Northeast India lies at the junction of the Indian and Southeast Asian biogeographic realms. Continued exploration in this region is revealing species and distribution patterns that were previously overlooked, emphasising the need for more intensive biodiversity surveys," lead researcher Uttam Saikia said. According to the study, the discoveries help address what biologists call the "Wallacean Shortfall" -- the lack of adequate information on the geographic distribution of species -- a major challenge for biodiversity conservation, particularly in biologically rich but poorly explored regions. PTI JOP NN