THE UNEXPECTED GUEST

It was a beautiful Monday morning; new week, work load, weekly targets, lots of planning in my mind and so on. Got down from the bus, stepped into the college, wished everyone ‘Good morning’ and went inside my laboratory. I pulled my chair and sat, mentally preparing to accept all the challenges I get that week. The very next moment a student of mine came running to show me something;

       Ma’am! Ma’am! : She cried

            I rushed towards her and ended up seeing a small little bat (flying fox) lying on the floor near washroom. I managed to pick up the bat and got it to my lab. Looking at its size and external features, I could guess it was a Pipistrellus species. I made a cardboard box, loaded it with some thermocol (Polystyrene) and placed the bat inside. A small little hole on top was made for aeration. Then I left for my classes, after sometime I came back to the little bat to identify the species. I took some of its photographs and sent it to the experts; I learned it was an Indian pipistrelle (Pipistrellus coromandra)

Systematic position:

Kingdom: Animalia

  Phylum: Chordata

    Class: Mammalia

       Order: Chiroptera

          Family: Vespertilionidae

             Genus: Pipistrellus

                 Species: coromandra

             Pipistrellus coromandra is abundantly found in South Asia, specifically in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Srilanka and nearby countries. They are widely distributed and the most commonly found bats in India. They are usually found roosting on abandoned buildings, trees, rock crevices, cracks of walls and ceilings etc. This population is dense and they are ‘least concerned’ animals. They are nocturnal (active during night time) animals, feed on ants, flies and other insects (insectivorous bats).

     

The body length was around 5cm and wingspan around 12cm. Usually, Pipistrellus coromandra measures about 8-9cm, forearm- 3cm, wingspan- 19-22cm and weight 9-13g. Taking all things into consideration, this one might have been a juvenile. Eyes, patagium/wings black in colour and inner surface little paler in colour. 

     Pipistrellus carries one or more ticks on its patagium. Luckily, I did not find any on this. There is no evidence suggesting this species transmitting any diseases. Fecal matter of this organism does not contain any parasite and no parasitic infection cases noted so far. So there is no risk of ‘Nipah virus’ infection from Pipistrellus. Unlikely fruit bats (Pterocarpous) are found to be the major vectors for the disease. (Note: Pipistrellus are insectivorous, does not feed on fruits and hence no chance of pollination through them). After my work I had left the bat in the box, but it had managed to return to its roost before I come next day.        

They check insect populations and thereby help in maintain the equilibrium in an ecosystem. Their population adds on for more diversity;

“More the number of species in an ecosystem, more will be the diversity;

More the diversity in an ecosystem, more will be the stability;
More the stability in an ecosystem, more will be the homeostasis (equilibrium)”. 

    Therefore each and every species is directly or indirectly beneficial; their survival is very important for us. Keeping all these in mind let us change our minds towards saving these beauties.

Cautions against bats:

ü  Bats should not be touched bare hands. (In this article pictures are shown handling a bat only by expert’s supervisions; previous experience on handling bats made me to deal with easily).

ü  Most of them carry ticks which may harm us.

ü  Some of them are aggressive and may attack us.

ü  They (especially fruit bats) are known to transmit diseases like Nipah virus.

ü  Some of the bat communities may not accept if they are touched by humans.