Wroughton's Free-tailed Bat
Encyclopedia
The Wroughton's free-tailed bat (Otomops wroughtoni) is a free-tailed bat
formerly considered to be confined to the Western Ghats
area of India
, though it has also recently been discovered in Northeast India and in a remote part of Cambodia
. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and a restricted range
In India,the species is found in two locations in the southern Indian
state of Karnataka
and in Meghalaya
in Northeast India. In Karnataka, it is found in the Barapede Caves, located between Krishnapur and Talewadi, in Belgaum
district, adjacent to the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary
near the state of Goa
. In Meghalaya, it was recently discovered in a cave near Nongrai village, Shella confederacy. Their habitat is threatened by limestone miners, timber contractors and the cave could be submerged if a nearby Mahadeyi river were dammed for a hydroelectric plant as proposed by the Karnataka Government.
http://www.kar.nic.in/zpbelgaum/PIC/BHIMGAD.JPG|thumb|Bhimgad
Free-tailed bat
Molossidae, or free-tailed bats, are a family of bats within the order Chiroptera. They are generally quite robust, and consist of many strong flying forms with relatively long and narrow wings. Another common name for some members of this group, and indeed a few species from other families, is...
formerly considered to be confined to the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
area of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, though it has also recently been discovered in Northeast India and in a remote part of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and a restricted range
In India,the species is found in two locations in the southern Indian
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
state of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and in Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
in Northeast India. In Karnataka, it is found in the Barapede Caves, located between Krishnapur and Talewadi, in Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
district, adjacent to the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, Karnataka state. This 13,167.10 hectares of evergreen forest area was long awaiting to be a wild life sanctuary and finally got the wildlife sanctuary tag in March 2010. It lies in the Khanapur Taluk of Belgaum Dist near...
near the state of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. In Meghalaya, it was recently discovered in a cave near Nongrai village, Shella confederacy. Their habitat is threatened by limestone miners, timber contractors and the cave could be submerged if a nearby Mahadeyi river were dammed for a hydroelectric plant as proposed by the Karnataka Government.
http://www.kar.nic.in/zpbelgaum/PIC/BHIMGAD.JPG|thumb|Bhimgad
