Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.
They sleep upside down and hunt for prey in the dark using sound waves — what can’t bats do? The only mammals capable of true flight, bats are remarkably adaptable, found on every continent except Antarctica. They offer critical ecosystem services by preying on insect populations, including agricultural pests and disease-carrying insects. For example, the critically endangered Kolar roundleaf bat (Hipposideros hypophyllus) that survives in a single cave in Karnataka is known to munch on 4,100 species of insects, including mosquitoes that transmit dengue and malaria.
India has roughly 135 species of bats — about 10% of global diversity — of which around 16 are endemic. The Western Ghats alone host at least 63 species, including the rare Wroughton’s free-tailed bat (Otomops wroughtoni). The Western Himalayas are home to 53 species of bats, including the East Asian free-tailed bat (Tadarida insignis), which until recently, was not recorded in India. Bats have also adapted to cities, roosting in old trees, under roofs, temple groves or heritage buildings.
The ecology of bats can vary surprisingly. The Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus), India’s largest bat with a wingspan of up to 1.5 metres, forages by sight and smell rather than echolocation. The palm-sized painted bat (Kerivoula picta), with its bright orange fur and black wings is vulnerable to the illegal wildlife trade.
Aside from insectivorous bats that control pests, India also hosts nectar- and fruit-feeding bats that pollinate flowers and disperse seeds, while their guano enriches soil with key nutrients.
Despite the many crucial roles played by them, bats remain among India’s least protected wildlife. Only six of the species found in India carry the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. According to Bat Conservation International, of the 122 Indian bat species assessed by the IUCN, only 23% have stable populations, while the rest are declining.
Threats include habitat loss from deforestation and agricultural expansion, roost destruction in caves and old buildings, persecution linked to myths and fears of disease, and, increasingly, collisions with wind turbines.
In a story published by Mongabay-India in 2023, agroecologist Iqbal Bhalla, said: “There is no doubt that bats are incredibly important to agricultural landscapes. I hope that in the next few years we can get to a more definite answer as to exactly what their economic value is in Indian agriculture.”
Read more about bats in our stories on Meghalaya’s bat diversity, and Tamil Nadu’s bats being erased by urbanisation.
Banner image: An Indian flying fox perches on a banana tree. Image by Praveen P. via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Credits
