v9i2.238

Submitted date: 5 March 2020
Accepted date: 12 June 2020
Published date: 28 November 2020
Pp. 227–231, Pl. 64.

Round-eared tube-nosed bat (Murina cyclotis) from Southwest Sri Lanka

G. Edirisinghe*, D. Gabadage, M. Botejue, P. Chandika & T. Surasinghe
*Corresponding author. E-mail: gayan.yza@gmail.com

Vesper bats (Family Vespertilionidae) are the most diverse bat family in Sri Lanka, represented by 12 species. The round-eared tube-nosed bat, Murina cyclotis is one of the rarest vesper bats. The species is distributed in South and Southeast Asia, and it belongs to a cryptic species complex. The distribution range of M. cyclotis is patchy and in Sri Lanka it is known only from a few localities. Given its widespread range, it is listed as Least Concern in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, whereas the National Conservation Assessments of Sri Lanka listed M. cyclotis as Near Threatened (NT). Here, we provide a new site record for this species from southwestern Sri Lanka.

Section Editor: Burton Lim