HYDERABAD: Researchers from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and the University of Reading, UK, have compiled the first comprehensive regional dataset of bat echolocation calls for South Asia.
Published in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, the study brings together decades of scattered research into a single foundational resource for conservation and future studies. It consolidates echolocation data from 35 peer-reviewed papers and nearly 6,000 unpublished recordings, mostly collected by the Indian authors, creating a standardised dataset for 86 echolocating bat species.
Bats use ultrasonic calls ranging from 12 kHz to 200 kHz, mostly inaudible to humans, for navigation and hunting. They play a key role in controlling night-active insects, many of which are crop pests and disease vectors.
Their presence is considered an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.
“This work highlights significant knowledge gaps in biodiversity-rich areas like the Western Ghats and establishes a critical tool for passive acoustic monitoring, allowing scientists to detect and study bats without direct contact,” said Dr Aditya Srinivasulu, lead author of the research paper.