MORMOPHOMETRIC CHARACTERS AND DISTRIBUTION OF BAT (Mammalia: Chiroptera) FAUNA IN NORTHWESTERN PAKISTAN - F. U. Rahman; F. Perveen; T. Rauf; M. Salim; Z. Ali; M. N. K. Khattak (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2015)
Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) are significantly important as seeds dispersal, pollinators and biological pest control agents. The present study was conducted to explore the diversity of bats in districts Charsadda, Kohat, Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan from July 2011 to May 2013. During the present study 10 bat species belonging to 5 genera and 4 families were recorded. Bat species recorded were Pteropus giganteus Brunnich with body mass (BM) 1121.9±38.9 gm; forearm length (FA) 174.10±1.7 mm; Hipposideros fulvus Gray with BM: 8.67±0.98 g; FA: 42.0±0.1 mm; Pipistrellus ceylonicus Kelaart BM: 8.90±0.99 g; HBL: 8.90±0.99 g: FA: 95.95±1.33 mm; Pipistrellus coromandra Gray BM: 5.95±0.80; FA: 29.14±0.89 mm; Pipistrellus tenuis Temminck BM: 5.56±0.65 g; FA: 28.99±0.94 mm; Pipistrellus javanicus Gray BM 7.6±0.5 mm; FA: 31.8±0.6 mm; Rhinopoma hardwickii Gray BM: 26.8±1.96 mm; FA: 54.18±0.86 mm; Rhinopoma microphyllum Brunnich BM: 19.09±1.36 mm; FA: 68.71±1.05 mm; Scotophilus heathii Horsfield BM: 36.60±3.80 g; FA: 61.9±1.4 mm; Scotophilus kuhlii Leech BM: 21.5±1.29 mm and FA: 53.77±1.53, respectively. This paper documented new information about bat fauna, their morphometry, habitats, conservation, threats and distribution map to the bats in Pakistan. Detail information about their status and biology may be needed. significant by many biologists (Mahmood-ul-Hassan et al. 2006). However, deforestation, urbanization and
Keywords: journal article; Chiroptera; Bat; Habitat; Morphology; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa