Record of Great Woolly Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus luctus, Temmick 1834) in Western Nepal

Sanjeev Baniya1,3,*, Basant Sharma1,3, Chiranjeevi Khanal1,4, Nirjala Raut1, Puspa Raj Acharya2,3

1 Institute of Forestry, Pokhara campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

2 Central Campus of Science and Technology (CCST), Mid-Western University, Surkhet.

3 Nepal Bat Research and Conservation Union (NeBRCU), Pokhara, Nepal.

4 Friends of Nature (FON), Kathmandu, Nepal.

*Corresponding author: sanjeev.torres19@gmail.com

Abstract 

The study of bats is generally sparse and underdeveloped in Nepal. However, recently, there has been more interest in the bat reserach, but despite the increase of publications, it is still in its’ preliminary phase. Proper species inventory and thorough research on the distribution of bats is still lacking. Previously, the Great Woolly Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus luctus) was recorded from only five different locations in Nepal. Here, we report the range extension of the species to the Western landscape in Nepal. Two independent studies have identified its presence in four new locations: Chamere Gupha (The Bat cave), Banpale forest within the Kaski District, Parbati cave, and the Pipale odaar within Parbat District. Hereby, we provide a new distribution map for R. luctus and recommend further research on the ecology of bats in the Mid-western and Far-western regions of Nepal in order to fill current knowledge gaps.

Keywords: chiroptera, harp traps, mist netting, rhinolophids, trifoliate group

Download the full PDF here