India, Sept. 25 -- Guwahati: A new species of golden-haired tube-nosed bat, Harpiola isodon, has been discovered at two locations in Mizoram, pushing the total number of bat species in India to 136.
According to a study published Wednesday in the zoological journal Zootaxa, the discovery is based on morphometric and genetic analyses of a recently captured specimen from Mizoram, extending the bat's known eastward range by over 1,000 km.
The Harpiola isodon, distinguished by its striking golden-tipped fur and unique tube-like nostrils, has a forearm length of 32-36 mm. The specimen was collected in March this year from Hmuifang village in Aizawl district by bat researcher Uttam Saikia of the Shillong branch of the Zoological Survey of Indi...