Morphological differentiation in some Pipistrellus sp. (Chiroptera) captured from Bajaur Agency, Pakistan

Abstract

A two years survey extending from June 2014 through May 2016 was conducted in Bajaur Agency which forms the northern part of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and never explored for chiropteran diversity prior to the present study. Five congeners namely common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Javan Pipistrelle P. javanicus, Coromandel Pipistrelle P. coromandra, least Pipistrelle P. tenuis and Kelaart’s Pipistrelle P. ceylonicus were recorded for the first time from the study area. Average forearm length of P. pipistrellus, P. javanicus, P. coromandra, P. tenuis and P. ceylonicus was recorded 30.9±0.14mm, 35.13±0.53mm, 31.64±1.19mm, 28.49±1.25mm and 40.11±2.24mm, respectively. The greatest length of skull of these species was 11.75±0.35mm, 13.69±0.25mm, 12.48±0.34mm, 11.83±0.30mm and 15.00±0.15mm, respectively while their total bacular length was 1.58mm, 3.81±0.01mm, 3.82±0.47mm, 2.11±0.707mm and 5.83±2.15mm, respectively. The shape and size of the bacula were the characters that helped in clear cut identification of these bat species.