Photo Courtesy: nenews
Aizawl: Researchers found two bat species in Mizoram, bringing India’s total to 138. The Zoological Survey of India led the project alongside the Hungarian Natural History Museum. They published the work in the journal Animal Taxonomy and Ecology.
The team identified the Indo-Chinese thick-thumbed bat and the Indo-Chinese mouse-eared bat. These animals were previously spotted only in Southeast Asia. This study confirms their presence in South Asia for the first time.
Fieldwork occurred between 2023 and 2025. The thick-thumbed bat turned up in Chhiahtlang, Serchhip district. This moves its known range 670 kilometres west of its last sighting in Myanmar. Meanwhile, the mouse-eared bat appeared in Reiek. This discovery pushes its range 1,300 kilometres westward from China, Laos, and Vietnam.
Dr. Uttam Saikia led the study. He believes the findings highlight how little we know about local wildlife. He stated, "The discoveries demonstrate how much remains unknown about the mammalian diversity of the region." These records help close gaps in data about where species live, which helps scientists protect them better.
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