Disk-footed Bat

• 19 Apr 2021

Why in News

India’s first bamboo-dwelling bat with sticky disks, has been found near Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • The bat species Eudiscopus denticulus, aptly called disk-footed bat, is very distinctive in appearance with prominent disk-like pads in the thumb and bright orange colouration.
    
    • It has been found roosting in internodal spaces of bamboo stems.
  • This species is known to thrive in a few localities in Southern China, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar.
  • In Meghalaya, it was recorded in the Lailad area near the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, about 1,000 km west of its nearest known habitat in Myanmar.
  • IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern
• Number of Bat Species in India:
  
  • The disk-footed bat has raised Meghalaya’s bat count to 66, the most for any State in India.
  • It has also helped add a genus and species to the bat fauna of India. India has a total of 130 bat species.

Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary

• Situated in the Ri-Bhoi district near Lailad village and spread over an area of 29 sq. kms, Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the famous attractions of Meghalaya.
• The Sanctuary falls in the Eastern Himalayan Global biodiversity hotspot.
• The sanctuary supports different species of fauna such as Royal Bengal Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Indian Bison, and Himalayan Black Bear etc.
• Among the birds, the rare species which can be spotted here are Manipur Bush Quail, Rufous Necked Hornbill and Brown Hornbill.
• Other Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya:
  
  • Siju Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Baghmara Pitcher Plant Sanctuary
  • Nokrek National Park

Source: TH