**2.2. Family Rhinopomatidae**

include the Indian flying fox *P. g. giganteus* (Brünnich, 1782), *P. g. ariel* (Allen, 1908), *P. g. leucocephalus* Hodgson, 1835, the large flying fox *P. vampyrus* (Linnaeus, 1758), the Nicobar flying fox *P. faunulus* (Miller, 1902), the Island flying fox *P. hypomelanus* (Temminck, 1853), *P. h. satyrus* (K.Andersen, 1908), and the Blyth's flying fox *P. melanotus melanotus* (Blyth, 1863) and *P. m. tytleri* (Dobson, 1874) [13]. The status and geographical limits of this taxon are still uncertain [13]. *Pteropus giganteus* is included in Appendix II in IUCN SSC Action Plan (1992)-Not Threatened

In Pakistan, this species has been reported from Rawal Lake, Saidpur and the Margalla Hills in Islamabad, Sialkot, Lahore, Changa Manga and Renala Khurd in Punjab, and from Jacobabad, Shahpur and Clifton Railway Bridge in Karachi [2, 13, 23]. It has recently been reported from Peshawar and Charsadda districts [20]. The species is widely distributed across India,

More than 300 bats were recorded roosting in Jrandy (N34° 24.808′ E71° 48.202′) tehsil Dargai in Malakand district. A single roost of the Indian flying fox was located at Agritech Limited Hazara Phosphate Fertilizer Plant (N33° 58 21.30′ and E72° 53 46.04′), Hattar Road, Haripur, during present survey, i.e., May–August 2014. Fifty specimens of the Indian flying fox (*Pteropus giganteus*) were collected from this roost. Ten of them were males while the remaining were females.

The genus *Cynopterus* F. Cuvier, 1824, has seven species [14]. It consists of those species which possess having shorter and broader muzzle with a deep margination between the nostrils. It is distributed from India to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines [13, 24]. Of the 7 species, two species of the short-nosed fruit bats are reported from the Indian subcontinent which include the short-nosed fruit bats *C. sphinx* (Vahl, 1797) and the lesser dog-faced fruit bat *C. brachyotis* (Müller, 1838) [13]. *Cynopterus sphinx* is included in Appendix II in IUCN SSC Action Plan (1992)-Not Threatened, Lower Risk-IUCN 2003 and is Least Concerned-CAMP

Typically, this is an Oriental faunal zone species and is confined to warmer sub-tropical areas where there are large numbers of flowering and fruiting trees. This short-nosed fruit bat has been reported from Karachi and Malir by Eates and Murray [23, 25]. No specimen has been collected either by the Zoological Survey of Pakistan or by the Bombay Natural History Society during its mammal survey of Southern Sindh. According to farmers in the Malir area, a small fruit bat does occur which attacks the "chiku" fruit (*Achras sapota*) as well as the custard apple (*Annona squamosa*) hovering near the ground and it seems probable that this is *Cynopterus*. With the spread of banana cultivation in recent decades up to Hyderabad, it is however, likely that this bat is followed as far north as that city [2]. Colonies of up to 25 individuals have been recorded in India by Vasishta and Badwaik [26]. It has been suggested that this species may be beneficial as an agent in seed dispersal (feeding on ripe dates and dropping the pits some distance from the food tree) [27], and in pollinating flowers which produce nectar at night. It is probably not numerous enough in Pakistan to do any considerable damage to the fruit crops. A skeleton of the greater short-nosed fruit bat was collected from the floor of "Kashmir Smasta" (N34° 25.780′ E72° 13.727′), a cave from which 22 *Rousettus leschenaulti* were also

and is Lower Risk-IUCN 2003 [16, 22].

84 Bats

2003; CAMP 2002 [15–17, 22].

tMaldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka [13].

*2.1.2. The greater short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx (Vahl, 1797)*

Two species of this family were recorded from Malakand division. These included the greater mouse-tailed bat *Rhinopoma microphyllum* Brünnich, 1782, and the lesser mouse-tailed bat *Rhinopoma hardwickii* Gray, 1831. Although both these species have a small dermal ridge on their muzzle, they are distinguishable based on forearm length relative to their tail length. Forearm in *R. microphyllum* is longer than *R. hardwickii*, but tail in *R. microphyllum* is generally smaller than the forearm as compared to *R. hardwickii* which have a longer tail than their forearm.
