A new subspecies of the Malayan Bamboo Bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Tylonycteris malayana eremtaga) from the Andaman Islands, India

Abstract

The bamboo bats belonging to the genus Tylonycteris are unique due to their morphology and ecology, and are known from few locations in South Asia. We collected voucher specimens of Tylonycteris malayana from North Andaman Island, which forms the basis of the first specimen-based record of this species from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and the second record from India. Our analyses based on morphometrics, craniodental measurements, bacular morphology and molecular phylogeny based on cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene indicate that the insular population of T. malayana may have diversified in isolation to differ from the mainland forms, and could represent putative new subspecies, described herein. In light of the new findings, we discuss the importance of conducting detailed study on the specimens of the Lesser Bamboo Bat earlier reported from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to ascertain their taxonomic status.

Keywords

• bamboo bat
• cryptic diversity
• molecular phylogeny
• north andaman island
• tylonycteris pachypus.