**1. Introduction to area**

The northwestern part of Pakistan that has recently been named by the provincial government as "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)" possesses a unique physiographic diversity. It lies between 31o 15′ and 36<sup>o</sup> 57′ North latitude and 69<sup>o</sup> 5′ and 74<sup>o</sup> 7′ East longitude. Afghanistan lies in the North West of the Province. Punjab and Balochistan provinces lie in the south and Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir and parts of the Punjab Province bound the eastern parts of the Province. KP covers a land area of 74,521 Km2 with a population of 30.52 million.

Pteropodidae (the fulvous fruit bat *Rousettus leshenaultii*), Rhinopomatidae (the greater mousetailed bat *Rhinopoma microphyllum* and the lesser mouse-tailed bat *R. hardwickii*), Rhinolophidae (the greater horseshoe bat *Rhinolophus ferrumequinum*, the lesser horseshoe bat *R. hipposideros*, the Blyth's horseshoe bat *R. lepidus* and the big-eared horseshoe bat *R. macrotis*) and Vespertilionidae (the lesser mouse-eared bat *Myotis blythii*, the whiskered bat *M. mystacinus*, the dark whiskered bat *M. muricola*, the brown long-eared bat *Plecotus auritus*, the gray long-eared bat *P. austriacus*, the Asian barbastelle *Barbastella leucomelas*, the desert long-eared bat *Otonyctris hemprichii*, the Asiatic greater yellow house bat *Scotophilus heathii*, the Botta's serotine *Eptesicus bottae*, the northern serotine *E. gobiensis*, the common serotine *E. serotinus*, the particolored bat *Vespertilio murinus*, the common pipistrelle *Pipistrellus pipistrellus*, the javan pipistrelle *P. javanicus*, the Thomas's pipistrelle *P. paterculus*, the least pipistrelle *P. tenius*, the coromandel pipistrelle *P. coromandra*, the Leisler's noctule *Nyctalus leisleri*, the mountain noctule *N. montanus,* the common noctule *N. noctula*, the Hutton's tube-nosed bat *Murina huttoni* and the Scully's tube-nosed bat *M. tubinaris*) [2, 13–15]. This diversity of Chiropteran species is a result of the immense diversity of habitat, comprising of old buildings, old trees, mountain caves and cliffs. As far as the status of these bats is concerned, one species is Endangered, two are Vulnerable, six are Near

Bats in Northern Mountain Region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

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Distribution ranges of most mammals in Pakistan have changed over the past few decades. However, no worthwhile studies documenting these changes except [2, 18–21] are available in the country to show such changes. New mammal species are being explored throughout the world. These discoveries are made especially in those areas which are either poorly surveyed or their mammal fauna is a combination of two or more zoogeographical realms. The north-

It is not only a poorly surveyed, climatically diverse, and habitat rich area, but is also uniquely located on the globe. It forms a buffer zone between Oriental and Palearctic regions and is also connected to Russia and China through land connections. Keeping in mind all these facts, this chapter gives authentic and up-to-date information of bats in the Northern Mountain Region of KP.

Three species of fruit bats were recorded from Malakand division. These included the Indian flying fox *Pteropus giganteus* Brünnich 1782, the fulvous fruit bat *Rousettus leschenaultii*

The genus *Pteropus* Brisson, 1962, has 65 species and consists of medium to large fruit bats [14]. It is distributed from Mafia and Pemba Islands (off the Tanzania), Madagascar, the Islands of the Indian Ocean, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Australia [13]. Of the 65, five species of the flying foxes are reported from the Indian subcontinent which

Desmarest, 1820, and the short-nosed fruit bat *Cynopterus sphinx* Vahl, 1797.

Threatened, 15 are Least Concern and five were Data Deficient [16, 17].

western part of Pakistan fulfills both these conditions.

**2. Diversity, distribution, and conservation status**

*2.1.1. The Indian Flying Fox Pteropus giganteus (Brünnich 1782)*

**2.1. Family Pteropodidae**

The Province is highly diverse in topography. It comprises of big plains, extensive deserts, low hills and high mountains. The province shares vast stretches of the world-known Karakoram, the Hindu kush and Himalayan Mountain ranges. The altitude ranges from 300 m at Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) in the south to 7690 m at Tirich Mir, the highest peak in the Hindu kush Mountain range in the north.

Flora of KP is equally diverse. About nine distinct vegetation types exist in the province. These include Riverain forest, Tropical thorn forest, Mazri palm scrub, and subtropical sub humid forest, subtropical humid Chir pine forest, moist temperate conifer forest, temperate Conifer forest, sub alpine scrubs and alpine meadows [1].

Owing to extraordinary physio-climatic features, the province is rich in wildlife resources. Its broad altitudinal (174–7690 m asl) and climatic range (temperature: −5 to 50°C; average annual precipitation: 1000–1200 mm; rainfall: 230–250 mm; annual average snowfall: 3 ft. (at only Lowari Top)) make it an excellent refuge for country's most prominent wild animal species. The province provides refuge to five out of six wild pheasant species, i.e., the western horned tragopan (*Tragopan melanocephalus*), the Himalayan monal (*Lophophorus impejanus*), the white-crested kalij (*Lophura leucomelanos hamiltonii*), the cheer pheasant (*Catreus wallichi*) and the koklas (*Pucrasia macrolopha*). It is also a home for four sub-species of markhor, i.e., the Kashmir markhor (*Capra falconeri cashmiriensis*), the Astor markhor (*C. f. falconeri*), the Kabul markhor (*C. f. megaceros*), and the Suleiman markhor (*C. f. jerdoni*). Two species of urial, the Punjab urial (*Ovis orientalis punjabiensis*) and the Ladakh urial (*O. v. vignei*), two species of bear, i.e., the Himalayan brown bear (*Ursus arctos*) and the Asiatic black bear (*Selenarctos thibetanus*) and one sub-species of the Balochistan black bear (*S. t. gedrosianus*) are also present here. In addition, five species of partridges, i.e., the chukar partridge (*Alectoris chukar*), the snow partridge (*Lerwa lerwa*)*,* the see-see partridge (*Ammoperdix griseogularis*), the gray partridge (*Francolinus pondicerianus*), and the black partridge (*F. francolinus*) are also found in this province [2–4]. Owing to its ornithological importance, the Plass Valley has been designated as one of the global hot spot of biodiversity [5].

In spite of the presence of a rich and diverse wildlife, little attention has been paid to explore bat fauna of the north-western part of the country. Most of the available literature on bat fauna of this region has been contributed by foreigners, before partition of India and Pakistan, during the British reign. Since no comprehensive and updated field study is available, bat biologists still rely on [2, 6–13] for authenticity of their findings.

Literature survey has revealed that bat fauna of the KP consists of four families, 13 genera and 29 species representing more than a half of the bats of the country. These bat families include Pteropodidae (the fulvous fruit bat *Rousettus leshenaultii*), Rhinopomatidae (the greater mousetailed bat *Rhinopoma microphyllum* and the lesser mouse-tailed bat *R. hardwickii*), Rhinolophidae (the greater horseshoe bat *Rhinolophus ferrumequinum*, the lesser horseshoe bat *R. hipposideros*, the Blyth's horseshoe bat *R. lepidus* and the big-eared horseshoe bat *R. macrotis*) and Vespertilionidae (the lesser mouse-eared bat *Myotis blythii*, the whiskered bat *M. mystacinus*, the dark whiskered bat *M. muricola*, the brown long-eared bat *Plecotus auritus*, the gray long-eared bat *P. austriacus*, the Asian barbastelle *Barbastella leucomelas*, the desert long-eared bat *Otonyctris hemprichii*, the Asiatic greater yellow house bat *Scotophilus heathii*, the Botta's serotine *Eptesicus bottae*, the northern serotine *E. gobiensis*, the common serotine *E. serotinus*, the particolored bat *Vespertilio murinus*, the common pipistrelle *Pipistrellus pipistrellus*, the javan pipistrelle *P. javanicus*, the Thomas's pipistrelle *P. paterculus*, the least pipistrelle *P. tenius*, the coromandel pipistrelle *P. coromandra*, the Leisler's noctule *Nyctalus leisleri*, the mountain noctule *N. montanus,* the common noctule *N. noctula*, the Hutton's tube-nosed bat *Murina huttoni* and the Scully's tube-nosed bat *M. tubinaris*) [2, 13–15]. This diversity of Chiropteran species is a result of the immense diversity of habitat, comprising of old buildings, old trees, mountain caves and cliffs. As far as the status of these bats is concerned, one species is Endangered, two are Vulnerable, six are Near Threatened, 15 are Least Concern and five were Data Deficient [16, 17].

Distribution ranges of most mammals in Pakistan have changed over the past few decades. However, no worthwhile studies documenting these changes except [2, 18–21] are available in the country to show such changes. New mammal species are being explored throughout the world. These discoveries are made especially in those areas which are either poorly surveyed or their mammal fauna is a combination of two or more zoogeographical realms. The northwestern part of Pakistan fulfills both these conditions.

It is not only a poorly surveyed, climatically diverse, and habitat rich area, but is also uniquely located on the globe. It forms a buffer zone between Oriental and Palearctic regions and is also connected to Russia and China through land connections. Keeping in mind all these facts, this chapter gives authentic and up-to-date information of bats in the Northern Mountain Region of KP.
