*2.2.1. Greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum (Brünnich, 1782)*

The genus *Rhinopoma* (E. Geoffroy, 1818) has four species worldwide and three of them occur in the Indian subcontinent which include the lesser mouse-tailed bat *R. hardwickii* Gray, 1831, the greater mouse-tailed bat *R. microphyllum* (Brünnich, 1782), and the small mouse-tailed bat *R. muscatellum* Thomas, 1903 [14]. The greater mouse-tailed bat is distributed from Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sumatra, and Cameroon to Egypt [14]. The species is relatively abundant in the Indian subcontinent with one endemic subspecies (*R. m. kinneari*) and is Least Concerned (South Asian Chiroptera C.A.M.P. Report, 2002; [16, 17].

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].

subspecies of *M. lyra* [6] and is distributed in South China, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. The area of *M. lyra* was figured by [35], but with some inaccuracy, since the species is living in Pakistan [40], Afghanistan [7], and Vietnam [41]. The species is "Lower Risk"

Bats in Northern Mountain Region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

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The false vampire bat *M. lyra* Geoffroy 1810, is an old world tropical gleaning bat. It detects its prey both via echolocation [42] and based on prey generated rustling noises [43]. *M. lyra* is a large bat with ugly appearance because of their big head, prominent muzzle, huge naked ears, and peculiar nose leaf. The skin of the nose leaf is pink and naked and roughly lozenge-shaped with a narrow vertical ride running down its center. Ears are bluntly rounded at their tips, sparsely covered with hairs, and pinkish gray color when the animal is alive. The tragus is pinkish brown, long, and slender, being divided into two lanceolate but unequal lobes. The outer lobe is much longer up to 13mm, and slenderer than the inner lobe which is blunter at its tip. The pelage is fine, soft, and moderately long. The upper surface of the body is a uniform mouse gray faintly washed with brown. The ventral surface is paler, with the hair tips on the throat and belly white; the hair bases are gray. Dorsally the body fur is blue gray and consists of long silky hair. The belly fur is a paler, more yellowish gray. Whitish hairs extend around the posterior ears bases and on to the wing membrane from the axillae to the groin. The upper lip tends to be rather sparsely haired with a fleshy furrow dividing the middle of the lower lip. Female have two pectoral mammae with two more false teats in the pubic region. Juvenile have a comparatively dark pelage. The wings are broad due to the last or fifth digit being relatively long. There is no trace of a tail in this species, but the interfemoral membrane is well developed, stretching from heel to heel and being supported by long but weakly developed calcars. The hind feet that are comparatively large is in the development of the first digit

which consists of only two joints while the remaining digits have three joints [2, 13].

its presence in the valley of Peshawar and possibly Mardan [2].

**2.4. Family Rhinolophidae**

Malakand district along with *R. leschenaultii* and *Hipposideros fulvus*.

In India, the colonies of this species have been observed in man-made structures such as temples, caves, forts, dilapidated old buildings, underground tunnels, old cow sheds, grain go downs, cellars, open walls, and shallow soap stone mines [37, 44, 45]. According to Hill [31], the species has been reported from Murree foothills at Lehtarar at 920 m, while Roberts [2] recorded it from Lahore in old ruined Mughal cellars at Shalimar gardens and from Sialkot. At Sukkur in Sindh, it has been found occupying the hillside caves (these are shallow man-made caves in limestone conglomerate) [2]. The species has been observed entering the verandah of an occupied house in Karachi to devour its prey [23]. The British Museum has one specimen, marked Balochistan and it seems likely that this specimen comes from Lasbela. It has not definitely been recorded anywhere else in Pakistan. In Pakistan, it appears that this bat is rather rare and decidedly local in distribution except in the northern sub-montane zone where it may be more widespread than is presently known. Further collecting will undoubtedly reveal

Twenty bats were recorded in a cave (N34° 26.762′ E71° 49.064′) at Tura Gata tehsil Dargai in

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

IUCN, 2003 and IUCN/SSC Action Plan 2001 [13, 14].

A total of 58 greater mouse-tailed bats were recorded co-roosting with *R. leschenaultii* in a cave at Tura Gata (N34° 26.783′ E71° 49.070′) tehsil Dargai.

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

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

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