A review of bat research in Thailand with eight new species records for the country
A review of the literature relating to the history of bat research in Thailand (1821–2006) is included, together with lists of the 119 bat species currently recorded from the country and the 16 that are omitted for lack of supporting data. The geographical distribution within Thailand of the some of the more significant bat field studies (1896–2004) is mapped and briefly discussed. Based on field work conducted in peninsular Thailand in 1993 and 2003–2004, eight bat species (Hipposideros ridleyi, Myotis hermani, Pipistrellus stenopterus, Hesperoptenus tomesi, Murina suilla, Murina aenea, Kerivoula pellucida, and Mops mops) are recorded from the country for the first time; information is provided on their taxonomy, distribution, and ecology. Recommendations are made for further bat studies in Thailand, with emphasis placed on selecting less well known species groups, such as forest bats, in under-researched habitats in neglected geographical areas (for example, the deciduous dipterocarp forests of eastern Thailand and the semi-evergreen forests of peninsular Thailand). A need to develop in-country skills in bat acoustics and taxonomy is also highlighted.
Key words: Chiroptera, Thailand, systematics, literature review, faunal list, new records
Bumrungsri, S., Harrison, D.L., Satasook, C., Prajukjitr, A., Thong-Aree, S. and Bates, P.J.J. 2006. A review of bat research in Thailand with eight new species records for the country. Acta Chiropterologica, 8:325-359. http://dx.doi.org/10.3161/1733-5329(2006)8[325:AROBRI]2.0.CO;2