Species Diversity and Elevational Distribution of Bats in Nepal

To date, 55 species of bats have been recorded over a wide range of altitudes from 64 to 4,154 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in Nepal. One third of Nepal, including eight protected areas, most of the Higher Mountain region and the western part of the country, has yet to be surveyed. In this study, mist netting, harp trapping, roost and acoustic surveys revealed a total of 34 species of bats belonging to 22 genera from nine districts of Nepal. Coelops frithii and Harpiocephalus harpia were noted for the first time from the country. Bats were recorded at altitudes from 240 to 3,232 m, with 25 species recorded from middle elevation ranges (1,001–2,000 m a.s.l.), 21 species from higher elevation ranges (2,001–3,232 m a.s.l.), and 20 species from lower elevation ranges (240–1,000 m a.s.l.). The distribution patterns across different ranges were species-specific (e.g., irregular in Myotis csorbai, hump-shaped in Submyotodon caliginosus, and linear in Nyctalus noctula), with high species richness observed at elevations from 501 to 1,000 m a.s.l. (22 species), followed by 1,001–1,500 m a.s.l. (21 species). These data are expected to guide the designation of new survey and monitoring areas in the future. Consequently, further detailed surveys and monitoring, particularly in western Nepal and the Higher Mountain regions, are likely to yield new distribution records of bats, both nationally and globally.