Wroughton’s free-tailed Bat

About Wroughton’s free-tailed Bat:

• It is a highly rare species of molossus bat.
• Characteristics: It is characterised by its large size, huge ears extending beyond the muzzle, and bicoloured velvet fur. It is known to be a powerful flier. 
• Habitat: It roosts in caves or dark, damp and little warm places, in moderate colony sizes.
• Distribution: This bat species is primarily found in the Western Ghats, where there is only one known breeding colony. Small colonies have also been recorded in Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, and a single individual was noted in Cambodia.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN: Data Deficient (Until 2000, the species was considered critically endangered because of a single known population in the Western Ghats. Later it was placed under this category).
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I
• Ecological significance: Ecologically important for regulating insect populations and is also known to assist in pollination.

Q1: What is Pollination?

It is the act of transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma. The goal of every living organism, including plants, is to create offspring for the next generation.

News: Wroughton’s free-tailed bat, a highly rare species, spotted in Delhi’s Yamuna Biodiversity Park