Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated near the Indian subcontinent (Survey Department of Sri Lanka, 2012) providing habitats for a rich mammalian diversity containing 126 species including 23 (~18%) endemic species. A total of 31 bat species, belonging to eight families, have been documented in Sri Lanka, including representatives from Pteropodidae, Emballonuridae, Megadermatidae, Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, Molossidae, Vespertilionidae, and Miniopteridae (Kusuminda et al., 2020). As seen globally, the majority of Sri Lanka’s bat species—27 in total—are insectivorous. The remaining five species belong to different feeding guilds, with one preying on vertebrates and four classified as frugivorous or plant-feeding bats (Yapa & Ratnavira, 2013; Yapa, 2018).
Currently, 18 (58%) Sri Lankan bat species are “nationally threatened” (five Critically Endangered, five Endangered, and eight Vulnerable) (
Ministry of Environment 2012). As evident from the southeast-Asian island Singapore where 72% of chiropterans have gone extinct, island bats are more vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors and habitat loss (
Lane et al. 2006;
Mickleburgh et al. 2002). Due to greater access to roosts and diversified food niches, woodlands and forests are the primary habitats for most bats, although a handful of synanthropic species inhabit built-up urban environments (
Avila-Flores and Fenton 2005;
Gehrt and Chelsvig 2003). Bats are among the most imperiled mammals, particularly in the tropical realm including Sri Lanka, due to decline in prey availability, pesticide use, roost destruction, and deforestation.
The distribution of bats in Sri Lanka varies by species. Some, such as Pteropus medius, Hipposideros speoris, and Cynopterus sphinx, are found throughout the island. However, others are restricted to specific ecological zones and habitats (Yapa, 2018). None of the bat species recorded in Sri Lanka are currently classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2023). Furthermore, distribution ranges of these species are known largely from historic records and assessment of their current distribution is an urgent requirement (Yapa & Ratnavira, 2013).
During our raodtrip on Sri Lanka in February 2025 we used an Elekon Batlogger M to find en record (endemic) bat species. In total we made xx records containing xx species. Sea roadmap !