India, April 16 -- India is home to 135 bat species, including 16 endemic, but they are among some of the least studied mammals, with 35 species still data deficient or unassessed, even as habitat loss, tourism pressure, and urban expansion reshape their roosts across caves, monuments, and cities, a study has found.

Thirty-four experts from 27 institutions carried out the two-year study titled 'State of India's Bats'. The Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Bat Conservation International (BCI) released it on Tuesday in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India.

The study found West Bengal (68 species), Meghalaya (66 species), and Uttarakhand (52 species) are India's bat diversity hotspots. Punjab and Haryana had the le...