**2.4. Family Rhinolophidae**

In Pakistan, the species has been reported from Ara [30], Sakesar, Rohtas [31], Gujrat, Multan, Mailsi, and near Jhelum in Punjab [2]. In Sindh, colonies have been found in Sukkur, Gambat [33]; Hyderabad, Karchat Hills, Karachi [2], and Lasbela (South Balochistan) [7]. The species has also been reported from Sadiqabad and Qutabpur. Mirza found a large summer colony inhabiting a natural rock cave in the Malakand Hills [2]. It is also found in Amb in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [32]. A total of 58 greater mouse-tailed bats were recorded co-roosting with *R. leschenaultii* in a cave

*R. hardwickii* has an average forearm length of 59.2 mm (52.9–64.0 mm) and rarely exceeds 60–67 mm. According to Roberts [2], this is much less common species than *R. microphyllum* in Pakistan. The species has been reported from Amb in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [34]. It has also been reported from Ara [30], Sakesar, Rohtas in Salt Range and Chitti Dil [31] in Punjab, around Karachi and Karchat Hills near Hyderabad [2] and Landi in southern Sindh [33].

According to Bates and Harrison [13], *R. hardwickii* is widespread and believed to be common in the Indian Subcontinent. Both the species *R. hardwickii* and *R. microphyllum* use the same type of diurnal roosts. The species is considered to be "Least Concerned" (South Asian Chiroptera

More than 25 bats were recorded roosting in a cave of Tura Gata (N34° 26.818′ E71° 48.973′)

The greater false vampire bat *Megaderma lyra* E. Geoffroy, 1810, is the only species of this fam-

The genus *Megaderma*, E. Geoffroy, 1810, has two species which consists of the greater false vampire *M. lyra* Geoffroy, 1810, and the lesser false vampire *M. spasma* Linnaeus, 1758 [14]. They are large bats without any tail and extensively developed interfemoral membrane. The genus *Megaderma* consists of those species having large oval ears, fold of skin across the crown and have an elongated bifurcated tragus [2, 13]. Megadermatidae consists of four genera and five species, two of which occur in the Oriental Region and one genus and one species in Pakistan [12, 14, 24]. *Megaderma lyra* Geoffroy, 1810, differs from *M. spasma* by its longer forearm, broad and short tragus, smaller postorbital process, and deep prenasal notch. Because of these differences [35], *M. lyra* has been in a separate subgenus, *Lyroderma*. According to Ref. [36], the species (under the generic name *Eucheira*) can be divided into two subspecies, *E. l. lyra* and *E. l. caurina,* both of which are found in and near the Indian Peninsula, and the specimens derived from South China (characterized by larger skull and narrower prenasal notch) belong to a different species, *E. sinensis*. Since the differences are very slight between *E. l. lyra* and *E. l. caurina*, we agree with [37] and [38, 39] who recognized only the nominate subspecies *M. l. lyra* in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. *E. sinensis* is generally accepted as a

ily found in Pakistan. One colony of these bats was recorded from the study area.

*2.3.1. The greater false vampire Megaderma lyra (E. Geoffroy, 1810)*

at Tura Gata (N34° 26.783′ E71° 49.070′) tehsil Dargai.

C.A.M.P. Report, 2002; [16, 17]).

86 Bats

tehsil Dargai in Malakand district.

**2.3. Family Megadermatidae**

*2.2.2. Lesser mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma hardwickii (Gray, 1831)*

The family Rhinolophidae is characterized by a horseshoe-shaped nose leaf on the muzzle which consists of an erect posterior lancet, a lower horizontal horseshoe that surrounds the nostrils, and a perpendicular median sella. The genus *Rhinolophus* Lacepede, 1799, has 76 species worldwide of which 16 species exist in the Indian subcontinent and five have been recorded in Pakistan. These five species include the greater horseshoe bat *R. ferrumequinum* Schreber, 1774, the lesser horseshoe bat *R. hipposideros* Bechstein, 1800, the Blasius horseshoe bat *R. blasii* Peters, 1866, the Blyth's horseshoe bat *R. lepidus* Blyth, 1844, and the big-eared horseshoe bat *R. macrotis* Blyth, 1844 [2, 13, 14]. This family is distributed from southern England to Caucasus, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, Japan, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It is considered to be a monogeneric group [12]. The reater horseshoe bat is Least Concerned worldwide [15, 17] and Near Threatened in South Asia (South Asian Chiroptera C.A.M.P. Report, 2002; [16, 17].

(N34° 46′59.17′′ E72° 22′204.19′′) elevation 3324 ft., and Gull Dara Kaan (N34° 47′19.66′′ E72° 22′11.55′′) elevation 3106 ft. district Swat. Fifteen of them were captured from Fizaghat Kaan (4 male and 11 female), 19 from Nalai Kaan (1 male, 18 female), and 16 from Gull Dara Kaan

Bats in Northern Mountain Region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74868

89

Hipposideridae is a family of bats commonly known as the "Old World Leaf-nosed Bats." This large family is characterized by elaborate modifications of the nose and muzzle, forming leaflike projections that are thought to help focus echolocation signals emitted through the nose. It comprises 80 species in 11 genera throughout the world. In Pakistan, it is represented by three genera and four species. It is a medium small species of *Hipposideros* with characteristically very large ears, the tip of which is broadly rounded off; the feet are small. The nose leaf has a greatest width of about 5 mm; its general morphology is like that of *H. ater* [13]. Adult weigh

The baculum is small and comparable to that of *H. ater.* It has a straight shaft with a simple base and tip [13]. It is closely similar in appearance to *Hipposideros cineraceus* from which it can mainly be distinguished by its slightly greater size and more rufescent dorsal pelage with very pale basal portion to the hairs. The dorsal fur of this species can vary widely in color in parts of western India [37], but in Pakistan, all specimens from the Punjab have long soft fur with the hairs pinkish white basally terminating in dark reddish brown or chestnut tips. Some individuals have more yellowish white fur close to the body with the tips of the hairs gray brown or even golden yellow in specimens from Sindh according to

This species seems well adapted to arid regions in the areas having a scattered growth of tropical thorn scrub or dry sub-tropical scrub. It particularly favors the open burrows of Porcupines and Hyenas for its diurnal roost as well as utilizing underground cellars, railway tunnels, and open wells "Kharezes" in Balochistan. They are very susceptible to predation from crows and kites if flying abroad in daylight [49]. Specimens have been collected in the northern Punjab from around Rawalpindi [9] and Chaklala [30] in the salt range. It apparently does not penetrate the foothills in the north and is absent from most of the Indus plain, occurring again in Southern Sindh around Sukkur [33], the Mausoleum of Amir Khan Mono and in Gholam and Gharo, all in Thatta district [50] and Shujawal [34]. In southern Balochistan, it has been collected from Panjgur and Hoshab [2]. The species is least concerned in South Asia [16, 17, 15]; South Asia Bat CAMP, 2002, and is lower risk: Least Concern in

Among the four recorded bat species of this family from Pakistan, only the fulvous leaf-nosed

More than 66 bats were recorded roosting in a cave of Tura Gata (N34° 26.770′ E71° 49.090′)

bat *Hipposideros fulvus* Gray, 1838, was recorded from Malakand division.

(5 male, 11 female).

**2.5. Family Hipposideridae**

between 8 and 9 g [48].

Murray, 1874.

Microchiroptera Action Plan [51].

tehsil Dargai in Malakand district.

*2.5.1. Fulvous leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros fulvus (Gray, 1838)*

Rhinolophidae bats are easily distinguished from the rest of bat families based on a prominent horseshoe-shaped nose leaf apparatus. Two species of this family were recorded from Malakand division. These included the greater horseshoe bat *Rhinolophus ferrumequinum* (Schreber, 1774) and Blyth's horseshoe bat *Rhinolophus lepidus* (Blyth, 1844).
