Two rare bat species found for the first time

Colombo, Nov. 19 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lankan researchers have, for the first time, documented the presence of two rare free-tailed bat species Wroughton's free-tailed bat (Otomops wroughtoni) and the East Asian free-tailed bat (Tadarida insignis) using advanced acoustic monitoring in tea plantations across the island.

Because bats fly high and are active at night, they are often difficult to observe. Acoustic surveys allow scientists to detect and identify species through their unique echolocation calls. The calls recorded in the study were clearly different from those of other bat species known in Sri Lanka, confirming the presence of both O. wroughtoni and T. insignis.

The discovery marks a major expansion in understanding bat diversity on the island. The known global range of O. wroughtoni has increased by more than 70% following this finding, while T. insignis was detected at higher elevations, pointing to new ecological insights. The study also highlights the role of tea plantations as potential wildlife habitats, reinforcing the importance of integrating agriculture with conservation.

With these new records, Sri Lanka’s bat count rises to 33 species. Researchers are calling for wider acoustic surveys to uncover more hidden species and improve knowledge of the country’s biodiversity.

The study was carried out by Tharaka Kusuminda, Chamara Amarasinghe, Amani Mannakkara, Bruce D. Patterson and Wipula B. Yapa from the University of Ruhuna, the University of Colombo, and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.