KOCHI: There are a total of 33 species of bats found in Kerala including three new species which were added in 2016. Up until 2000, the bat diversity of Kerala was represented by 24 species and the remaining have been added in the last three years.A study published in the journal of threatened taxa last year added three hitherto unreported species of bats , namely Hipposideros galeritus, Miniopterus fuliginosus and Rhinopoma hardwickii. Bat surveys spanning 19 days were conducted in 13 localities in four districts of Kerala.Earlier, nine species were identified by Prof Nameer and team from centre for wildlife studies, college of forestry, Kerala Agricultural University.In Kozhikode district, surveys were conducted in Tusharagiri, Janakikadu, and parts of Chempanodu, and Veliangad forest blocks while in Palakkad, surveys were conducted in and around Sairandhri in Silent Valley national park.The bats were caught using mist nets and hoop nets, photographed, measured and released at the site of capture. One male and one female individual of each bat species were retained as vouchers, euthanized humanely by exposure to a cotton ball dipped in ether, preserved in absolute ethanol and deposited in the collection of the Natural History Museum of Osmania University, Hyderabad.The study by Bhargavi Srinivasulu & Chelmala Srinivasulu, researchers from Osmania University, said that bats provide valuable ecosystem services, yet are threatened by habitat loss, roost destruction and superstitious beliefs leading to persecution and population reductions. Inventories of bat species are important for understanding species diversity, ecological niches, and threats before effective conservation of bats and their habitats can be implemented.Some of the commonly seen bats in Kerala include Indian flying fox, Black-bearded tomb bat, Fulvus round leaf bat, Greater false vampire bat, Lesser false vampire bat, Chocolate pipistrelle, Lesser woolly horseshoe bat and Blyth's horseshoe bat. “Studying bats is difficult because they are nocturnal animals. Now we are doing molecular levels studies and our results will be out soon,” said P O Nameer, head, centre for wildlife studies, KAU.

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