Research Interests: Geography and Population
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The three mammalian orders Chiroptera, Rodentia, and Eulipotyphla constitute the bulk of small mammalian species. In spite of their diversity, numerical preponderance, and widespread distribution, they are the least explored mammals with... more
The three mammalian orders Chiroptera, Rodentia, and Eulipotyphla constitute the bulk of small mammalian species. In spite of their diversity, numerical preponderance, and widespread distribution, they are the least explored mammals with serious information gap on the diversity and distribution especially in the context of northeastern India. To partially fill this crucial information gap, we conducted two extensive field surveys covering nine districts of Manipur state during 2019 and 2021 resulting in the collection of 62 examples of these groups. Besides, 12 additional examples of bats and shrews from Manipur deposited at the North Eastern Regional Centre (NERC) of ZSI, Shillong and two specimens of rodents deposited in Manipur University in recent times were also examined. Based on these voucher records and field evidences, we report the presence of 38 species of small mammals from the state including 27 species of bats, 10 species of rodents and one species of shrew. Out of th...
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The three mammalian orders Chiroptera, Rodentia, and Eulipotyphla constitute the bulk of small mammalian species. In spite of their diversity, numerical preponderance, and widespread distribution, they are the least explored mammals with... more
The three mammalian orders Chiroptera, Rodentia, and Eulipotyphla constitute the bulk of small mammalian species. In spite of their diversity, numerical preponderance, and widespread distribution, they are the least explored mammals with serious information gap on the diversity and distribution especially in the context of northeastern India. To partially fill this crucial information gap, we conducted two extensive field surveys covering nine districts of Manipur state during 2019 and 2021 resulting in the collection of 62 examples of these groups. Besides, 12 additional examples of bats and shrews from Manipur deposited at the North Eastern Regional Centre (NERC) of ZSI, Shillong and two specimens of rodents deposited in Manipur University in recent times were also examined. Based on these voucher records and field evidences, we report the presence of 38 species of small mammals from the state including 27 species of bats, 10 species of rodents and one species of shrew. Out of these, 12 species of bats have been recorded for the first time from the state. It is expected that the present inventory will expand with further surveys as fossorial rodents and shrews were not adequately sampled during the present studies.
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Thick-thumbed bats of the genus Glischropus are currently composed of four recognized species from Southeast Asia, two of which were described in recent times. Among these species, G. aquilus is endemic to Sumatra, G. javanus is... more
Thick-thumbed bats of the genus Glischropus are currently composed of four recognized species from Southeast Asia, two of which were described in recent times. Among these species, G. aquilus is endemic to Sumatra, G. javanus is restricted to western Java, whereas G. bucephalus is widely distributed north to the Isthmus of Kra and G. tylopus is widespread south to this zoogeographic boundary. Two recently collected Glischropus specimens from Meghalaya state in north-eastern India extend the known distribution range of the genus westward into South Asia by ca. 1000 km. Morphological examination of these specimens and comparison with all known species in this genus revealed marked differences in colouration, dental characters and bacular traits. We therefore describe the Meghalaya specimens as a new species. The discovery of the new species from a forest patch adjacent to Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary from where another specialized bamboo-dwelling species (Eudiscopus denticulus) was ...
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The systematics status of the constituent species of the M. mystacinus morphogroup in the Himalayan region has long been marred by uncertainty. Lack of integrative studies combining morphological and genetic data from specimens recently... more
The systematics status of the constituent species of the M. mystacinus morphogroup in the Himalayan region has long been marred by uncertainty. Lack of integrative studies combining morphological and genetic data from specimens recently collected in this region has hampered our understanding of cryptic variations in this complex taxonomic group. To address this issue, new material from the Himalayan region of India and Nepal was obtained and vouchered specimens in the holdings of various museums were also re-examined. As comparative material, a large series of relevant specimens from South and Southeast Asia were also included in this revision. Using a combination of multivariate analysis of craniodental characters and molecular reconstructions, we critically evaluated the systematic position of the small Myotinae in the Himalayas. We establish that M. nipalensis forms a very distinct lineage (which also includes the recently described M. annatessae) and refute previous taxonomic su...
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Because of past and present geo-climatic condition and unique biogeographic history, the state of Meghalaya harbours a rich bat fauna. An inventory of the bat fauna of the state consisting of 65 species in eight families with... more
Because of past and present geo-climatic condition and unique biogeographic history, the state of Meghalaya harbours a rich bat fauna. An inventory of the bat fauna of the state consisting of 65 species in eight families with distributional information on each species is presented. Four species namely Megaerops niphanae, Pipistrellus ceylonicus, Tylonycteris malayana and Miniopterus pusillus find first mention from the state. This account is primarily based on reliable published information and online collection database of museums and is supplemented by the chiropteran collection in Zoological Survey of India, Shillong, and recent field observations. Despite the rich diversity, bat fauna of the state is facing multiple existential threats especially from mining and associated activities. These threats and other conservation issues are also being discussed briefly.
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Fig. 4. Map representation of the known occurrences of H. joffrei.
Research Interests: Taxonomy and Biodiversity
Fig. 3. Lateral views of skulls of (a) H. joffrei holotype from Myanmar (BMNH 88.12.1.37), (b) H. anthonyi holotype from Myanmar (AMNH 114849), (c) H. joffrei from Shillong, Meghalaya (ZSI V / M / ERS / 292), (d) H. joffrei from Sikkim... more
Fig. 3. Lateral views of skulls of (a) H. joffrei holotype from Myanmar (BMNH 88.12.1.37), (b) H. anthonyi holotype from Myanmar (AMNH 114849), (c) H. joffrei from Shillong, Meghalaya (ZSI V / M / ERS / 292), (d) H. joffrei from Sikkim (MSB 67467), (e) H. joffrei from Nepal (FMNH 114249). Scale bar represents 5 mm.
Research Interests: Taxonomy and Biodiversity
Fig. 2. Portrait of H. joffrei specimen ZSI V / M / ERS / 292. Note the enlarged muzzle and short, roundish tragus.
Research Interests: Taxonomy and Biodiversity
Fig. 1. Picture of the live adult male H. joffrei ZSI V / M / ERS / 292. Note the dark brown, glossy appearance of the dorsal pelage, and the sharp demarcation between the dorsal and lighter ventral colour.
Research Interests: Taxonomy and Biodiversity
The Joffre's pipistrelle Hypsugo joffrei is a rare and very little known vespertilionid bat previously thought to be confined to Myanmar and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. Based on recently collected material and reassessment of museum... more
The Joffre's pipistrelle Hypsugo joffrei is a rare and very little known vespertilionid bat previously thought to be confined to Myanmar and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. Based on recently collected material and reassessment of museum specimens, this species is being reported for the first time from India and Nepal which also significantly extends its westward geographic range beyond Myanmar. We also critically compare the type specimen of another poorly known congener from Myanmar, H. anthonyi with the present material and propose to recognize the name H. anthonyi as the junior subjective synonym of H. joffrei. Specimens previously identified as Philetor brachypterus from South Asia were found to represent H. joffrei, as well. Consequently, the distribution range of Philetor is restricted to the Sundaic zoogeographical subregion, the Philippines, New Guinea and Bismarck Is., and the species should be omitted from the bat checklists of India and Nepal.
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Abstract: On the basis of two recently collected specimens from Meghalaya state in north-eastern India, we report the occurrence of the monotypic vespertilionid genus Eudiscopus in the Indian Subcontinent. This taxon has so far been known... more
Abstract: On the basis of two recently collected specimens from Meghalaya state in north-eastern India, we report the occurrence of the monotypic vespertilionid genus Eudiscopus in the Indian Subcontinent. This taxon has so far been known only from a few localities in Southeast Asia. Our records also constitute a westward range extension of E. denticulus by about 1000 km into eastern South Asia. We provide comparative mensural data of several museum specimens of E. denticulus from Southeast Asia. Additionally, the echolocation call and wing characteristics of this species from Meghalaya are also described. The higher call frequency and lower wing loading and aspect ratio of the Indian E. denticulus indicate adaptation to cluttered environment, corroborating its guild assignment as edge space aerial forager. Molecular comparisons of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence with samples from Vietnam revealed no genetic variation, despite large geographic distances separating the s...
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Thick-thumbed bats of the genus Glischropus are currently composed of four recognized species from Southeast Asia, two of which were described in recent times. Among these species, G. aquilus is endemic to Sumatra, G. javanus is... more
Thick-thumbed bats of the genus Glischropus are currently composed of four recognized species from Southeast Asia,
two of which were described in recent times. Among these species, G. aquilus is endemic to Sumatra, G. javanus is
restricted to western Java, whereas G. bucephalus is widely distributed north to the Isthmus of Kra and G. tylopus
is widespread south to this zoogeographic boundary. Two recently collected Glischropus specimens from Meghalaya
state in north-eastern India extend the known distribution range of the genus westward into South Asia by ca. 1000 km.
Morphological examination of these specimens and comparison with all known species in this genus revealed marked
differences in colouration, dental characters and bacular traits. We therefore describe the Meghalaya specimens as a
new species. The discovery of the new species from a forest patch adjacent to Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary from
where another specialized bamboo-dwelling species (Eudiscopus denticulus) was reported recently also underscore the
importance of the area from a conservation point of view.
two of which were described in recent times. Among these species, G. aquilus is endemic to Sumatra, G. javanus is
restricted to western Java, whereas G. bucephalus is widely distributed north to the Isthmus of Kra and G. tylopus
is widespread south to this zoogeographic boundary. Two recently collected Glischropus specimens from Meghalaya
state in north-eastern India extend the known distribution range of the genus westward into South Asia by ca. 1000 km.
Morphological examination of these specimens and comparison with all known species in this genus revealed marked
differences in colouration, dental characters and bacular traits. We therefore describe the Meghalaya specimens as a
new species. The discovery of the new species from a forest patch adjacent to Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary from
where another specialized bamboo-dwelling species (Eudiscopus denticulus) was reported recently also underscore the
importance of the area from a conservation point of view.
Research Interests:
The chiropteran diversity of Meghalaya State is very high with 65 reported species. Taxonomic and ecological information on many of these bat species, however, are scant or largely outdated. We reinforce the records on five poorly known... more
The chiropteran diversity of Meghalaya State is very high with 65 reported species. Taxonomic and ecological information on many of these bat species, however, are scant or largely outdated. We reinforce the records on five poorly known bat species in Meghalaya, viz., Megaerops niphanae, Myotis pilosus, Kerivoula kachinensis, Miniopterus magnater, & Miniopterus pusillus, critically evaluate their taxonomic assignment, and provide detailed morphometric data for further comparisons. For three of these species, we also provide echolocation call data that are reported for the first time in India. Together, these new data highlight the need for a more robust and critical examination of the rich bat fauna existing in the foothills of the Himalaya.
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Specimen based records of two vespertilionid bats namely Pipistrellus ceylonicus and Tylonycteris fulvida are provided for the first time from the state of Assam in northeastern India. Based on review of existing literature and... more
Specimen based records of two vespertilionid bats namely Pipistrellus ceylonicus and Tylonycteris fulvida are provided for the first time from the state of Assam in northeastern India. Based on review of existing literature and examinations of museum specimens, we also furnish a checklist of the bat fauna of Assam with distribution, which includes 32 species in 17 genera.
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Birch mice are grouped under the monotypic genus Sicista Gray, 1827 and placed under the family Sminthidae. They are distributed over the Palearctic ream and the fragmented population of the species Sicista concolor reported from China,... more
Birch mice are grouped under the monotypic genus Sicista Gray, 1827 and placed under the family Sminthidae. They are distributed over the Palearctic ream and the fragmented population of the species Sicista concolor reported from China, North Pakistan and India in Himalayan region. The present communication is a range extension of the Kashmir Birch mouse, Sicista concolor leathemi in Indian Himalaya and first report from Himachal Pradesh.
Introduction Barail Hill Range lies in North Cachar Hill Dis-trict, and is the south-western extension of the Patkai Range, and runs in a south-westerly direc-tion from southern Nagaland and parts of north-ern Manipur, up to the Jaintia... more
Introduction Barail Hill Range lies in North Cachar Hill Dis-trict, and is the south-western extension of the Patkai Range, and runs in a south-westerly direc-tion from southern Nagaland and parts of north-ern Manipur, up to the Jaintia Hill of Meghalaya (Fig. 1). The higher elevation ( ...
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Specimen based records of five species from Manipur state namely Rhinolophus sinicus, R. yunanensis, Kerivoula picta, Myotis muricola and Miniopterus magnater is presented. The mensural data of the examined specimens from Manipur and... more
Specimen based records of five species from Manipur state namely Rhinolophus sinicus, R. yunanensis, Kerivoula picta, Myotis muricola and Miniopterus magnater is presented. The mensural data of the examined specimens from Manipur and comparative data from India and Nepal are also provided. With the current additions, the bat inventory of Manipur stands at 17 species. This also highlights the paucity of information on the bat species diversity and distribution of bat fauna in the state and calls for extensive field based studies.
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... Open Access Subscription Access. New Records of Bats from Himachal Pradesh with some Ecological Notes. Uttam Saikia, RM Sharma, VK Mattu. Abstract. No abstract. Refbacks. There are currently no refbacks. ...
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On the basis of two recently collected specimens from Meghalaya state in northeastern India, we report the occurrence of the monotypic vespertilionid genus Eudiscopus in the Indian Subcontinent. This taxon has so far been known only from... more
On the basis of two recently collected specimens from Meghalaya state in northeastern India, we report the occurrence of the monotypic vespertilionid genus Eudiscopus in the Indian Subcontinent. This taxon has so far been known only from a few localities in Southeast Asia. Our records also constitute a westward range extension of E. denticulus by about 1000 km into eastern South Asia. We provide comparative mensural data of several museum specimens of E. denticulus from Southeast Asia. Additionally, the echolocation call and wing characteristics of this species from Meghalaya are also described. The higher call frequency and lower wing loading and aspect ratio of the Indian E. denticulus indicate adaptation to cluttered environment, corroborating its guild assignment as edge space aerial forager. Molecular comparisons of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence with samples from Vietnam revealed no genetic variation, despite large geographic distances separating the samples. Phylogenetic reconstructions confi rm that Eudiscopus is a basal Myotinae, but its position relative to Submyotodon and Myotis is still uncertain. Résumé: En se basant sur deux spécimens découverts dans l'état du Meghalaya, au nord-est de l'Inde, nous révélons l'existence d'Eudiscopus denticulus pour la première fois dans le sous-continent indien. Ce genre monotypique n'était connu que de quelques localités en Asie du Sud-Est. Cette découverte au Meghalaya étend par conséquent l'aire connue pour cette espèce de près de 1000 km vers l'ouest. Des données biométriques comparatives avec des spécimens d'Asie du Sud-Est sont présentées. De même, les cris d'écholocation et la morphologie alaire d'E. denticulus du Meghalaya sont aussi analysés. Une combinaison de signaux ultrasonores particulièrement brefs et aigus, ainsi qu'une faible charge alaire couplée à des ailes relativement larges suggèrent qu'E. denticulus est adapté à chasser dans des milieux encombrés, ce qui corrobore son classement dans cette guilde de chauves-souris insectivores. Des séquences mitochondriales du gène cytochrome b sont aussi comparées avec des échantillons vietnamiens et malgré la grande distance géographique qui les sépare, elles ne révèlent aucune différence génétique. Les reconstructions moléculaires basées sur ce marqueur démontrent que le genre Eudiscopus fait bien partie d'une lignée basale parmi les Myotinae, mais sa position exacte relativement aux genres Submyotodon et Myotis reste ambiguë. Mots-clés: Phylogénie-Myotinae-écholocation-morphologie alaire-Inde.
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Siju Cave in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India was the subject of a meticulous and detailed biological survey in 1922. The cave was re-visited, and the biota documented in 2019. Observations made in 2019 were compared to those reported... more
Siju Cave in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India was the subject of a meticulous and detailed biological survey in 1922. The cave was re-visited, and the biota documented in 2019. Observations made in 2019 were compared to those reported from 1922 and placed in context by comparisons to observations made in other Meghalayan caves. In many respects the biota resembled that recorded in 1922 but two key differences were noted. Firstly, in 2019 the bat population and the extent of the associated guano deposits were noted to be considerably reduced relative to those described from 1922. Correspondingly, the abundance of the guano-associated biota appeared considerably reduced from that of 1922. Secondly, in 2019 a distinctly troglomorphic cockroach was found to be abundant throughout the cave. This cockroach was eyeless, totally lacking in pigmentation and had pronounced elongate antennae. It is inconceivable that it would have been overlooked in 1922, so it can only be concluded that it was not then present in the accessible areas of the cave.
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The systematics status of the constituent species of the M. mystacinus morphogroup in the Himalayan region has long been marred by uncertainty. Lack of integrative studies combining morphological and genetic data from specimens recently... more
The systematics status of the constituent species of the M. mystacinus morphogroup in the Himalayan region has long been marred by uncertainty. Lack of integrative studies combining morphological and genetic data from specimens recently collected in this region has hampered our understanding of cryptic variations in this complex taxonomic group. To address this issue, new material from the Himalayan region of India and Nepal was obtained and vouchered specimens in the holdings of various museums were also reexamined. As comparative material, a large series of relevant specimens from South and Southeast Asia were also included in this revision. Using a combination of multivariate analysis of craniodental characters and molecular reconstructions, we critically evaluated the systematic position of the small Myotinae in the Himalayas. We establish that M. nipalensis forms a very distinct lineage (which also includes the recently described M. annatessae) and refute previous taxonomic suggestions that it is related to M. davidii. Our study also conclusively proved the common occurrence of the poorly known genus Submyotodon in the Himalayan region (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and China) and evidenced species-level divergences within that genus. Submyotodon species share nyctalodont or semi-nyctalodont lower molar configuration with few other small and unrelated Myotinae from Asia suggesting that these unusual dental characters are homoplasious in this subfamily. We also noticed a very confused taxonomic situation associated with many DNA sequences of Asian Myotis deposited in public repositories and call for possibilities of better data curation.
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The chiropteran diversity of Meghalaya state is very high with 65 reported species. However, taxonomic and ecological information on many of these bat species are scant or largely outdated. We reinforce the records on five poorly known... more
The chiropteran diversity of Meghalaya state is very high with 65 reported species. However, taxonomic and ecological information on many of these bat species are scant or largely outdated. We reinforce the records on five poorly known bat species in Meghalaya (Megaerops niphanae, Myotis pilosus, Kerivoula kachinensis, Miniopterus magnater and Miniopterus pusillus), critically evaluate their taxonomic assignment and provide detailed morphometric data for further comparisons. For three of these species, we also provide echolocation call data that are reported for the first time in India. Together, these new data highlight the need for a more robust and critical examination of the rich bat fauna existing in the foothills of the Himalaya.
Research Interests:
A historical review of studies on various aspects of the bat fauna of India is presented. Based on published information and study of museum specimens, an upto date checklist of the bat fauna of India including 127 species in 40 genera is... more
A historical review of studies on various aspects of the bat fauna of India is presented. Based on published information and
study of museum specimens, an upto date checklist of the bat fauna of India including 127 species in 40 genera is being
provided. Additionaly, new distribution localities for Indian bat species recorded after Bates and Harrison, 1997 is also
provided. Since the systematic status of many species occurring in the country is unclear, it is proposed that an integrative
taxonomic approach may be employed to accurately quantify the bat diversity of India
study of museum specimens, an upto date checklist of the bat fauna of India including 127 species in 40 genera is being
provided. Additionaly, new distribution localities for Indian bat species recorded after Bates and Harrison, 1997 is also
provided. Since the systematic status of many species occurring in the country is unclear, it is proposed that an integrative
taxonomic approach may be employed to accurately quantify the bat diversity of India
Research Interests:
Specimen based records of two vespertilionid bats namely Pipistrellus ceylonicus and Tylonycteris fulvida are provided for the first time from the state of Assam in northeastern India. Based on review of existing literature and... more
Specimen based records of two vespertilionid bats namely
Pipistrellus ceylonicus and Tylonycteris fulvida are provided for the first
time from the state of Assam in northeastern India. Based on review
of existing literature and examinations of museum specimens, we also
furnish a checklist of the bat fauna of Assam with distribution, which
includes 32 species in 17 genera.
Pipistrellus ceylonicus and Tylonycteris fulvida are provided for the first
time from the state of Assam in northeastern India. Based on review
of existing literature and examinations of museum specimens, we also
furnish a checklist of the bat fauna of Assam with distribution, which
includes 32 species in 17 genera.
Research Interests:
BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to... more
BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research.
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We studied reproductive behavior of Roarchestes shillongensis a poorly known and endemic bush frog of Northeast India.During the study period, some behavioural repertoire not reported in other bush frog species from India were observed.... more
We studied reproductive behavior of Roarchestes shillongensis a poorly known and endemic bush frog of Northeast India.During the study period, some behavioural repertoire not reported in other bush frog species from India were observed. We also describe amplexus, spawning and male advertisement call of the species and provide a comparative account of reproductive mode of other bush frogs from South Asian region. Our study fills the gap of knowledge on reproductive biology of bush frogs of Northeast India.
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... New Distributional Record of Eastern Black Turtle, Melanochelys trijuga indopeninsularis from Simbalwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh. Uttam Saikia, HS Mehta, DK Sharma. Abstract. No abstract. Refbacks. There are currently no... more
... New Distributional Record of Eastern Black Turtle, Melanochelys trijuga indopeninsularis from Simbalwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh. Uttam Saikia, HS Mehta, DK Sharma. Abstract. No abstract. Refbacks. There are currently no refbacks. ...
... Open Access Subscription Access. New Records of Bats from Himachal Pradesh with some Ecological Notes. Uttam Saikia, RM Sharma, VK Mattu. Abstract. No abstract. Refbacks. There are currently no refbacks. ...
For most of us, bats are one of the most enigmatic creatures that normally evoke a sense of mystery, fear and even revulsion. The main reasons for this pitiable attitude towards these animals are rampant myths and misconceptions about... more
For most of us, bats are one of the most enigmatic creatures that normally evoke a sense of mystery, fear and even revulsion. The main reasons for this pitiable attitude towards these animals are rampant myths and misconceptions about them that prevail in our society. The following article is an attempt to present these animals in scientific light and to
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Because of past and present geo-climatic condition and unique biogeographic history, the state of Meghalaya harbours a rich bat fauna. An inventory of the bat fauna of the state consisting of 65 species in eight families with... more
Because of past and present geo-climatic condition and unique biogeographic history, the state of Meghalaya harbours a rich bat fauna. An inventory of the bat fauna of the state consisting of 65 species in eight families with distributional information on each species is presented. Four species namely Megaerops nipha-nae, Pipistrellus ceylonicus, Tylonycteris malayana and Miniopterus pusillus find first mention from the state. This account is primarily based on reliable published information and online collection database of museums and is supplemented by the chiropteran collection in Zoological Survey of India, Shillong, and recent field observations. Despite the rich diversity, bat fauna of the state is facing multiple existential threats especially from mining and associated activities. These threats and other conservation issues are also being discussed briefly. Keywords Meghalaya · Northeast India · Chiroptera · Threats · Conservation