Myotis himalaicus. © Rohit Chakravarty.
A new bat species has been discovered in India after scientists conducted a reassessment of bat fauna in the country’s Western Himalayan region.
Found in the high-altitude forests of Uttarakhand, the Himalayan long-tailed Myotis (Myotis himalaicus) was initially documented during field surveys occurring in 2016 and 2017. At the time, the bat was tentatively identified by scientists as Myotis cf. frater – an East Asian species – which marked a new record for India.
However, in 2021, scientists successfully encountered the rare bat again. After four years of research and analysis, the bat has now been confirmed as a new species due to its “distinct combination of unique genetic and morphological traits.”
In June 2025, a research paper containing the reassessment results was published via journal Zootaxta. In addition to describing the Himalayan long-tailed Myotis, the report highlights several other findings including the first occurrences of Savi’s pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii), the Japanese greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus nippon) and Mandelli’s mouse-eared bat (Myotis sicarius) in the Western Himalayas.
Myotis himalaicus type locality. © Rohit Chakravarty.
The study also confirms the first record of the globally data-deficient East Asian free–tailed bat (Tadarida insignis) in India, which was previously misidentified as the European free-tailed bat (Tadarida teniotis).
Indian news outlets including The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Times of India and The Shillong Times announced the reassessment discoveries, which have been described as a "major breakthrough for Himalayan biodiversity research.”
The scientists responsible for the study are Uttam Saikia, Rohit Chakravarty, Gabor Csorba, Mostaque Ahmed Laskar and Manuel Ruedi.
Rohit Chakravarty has so far been awarded two Rufford Small Grants for his bat research in India. During his first project, he created a solid inventory of bats and the elevational ranges that different species occupy. While his second grant empowered him to build on this information, gain insights into the natural history of rare bat species and train students on bioacoustics.
Rohit with his 2021 field team. © Rohit Chakravarty.
The field surveys in 2016, 2017 and 2021 that led to the classification of the Himalayan long-tailed Myotis were also funded by The Rufford Foundation.
Congratulations to Rohit and his colleagues for making such a significant contribution to Indian bat species classification.
Read their full report, Taxonomic reassessment of bats from the Western Himalayas, India and description of a new species of the Myotis frater complex (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), here.
Are you considering starting or accelerating your own conservation journey? Apply for a Rufford Small Grant today.
