Science and Tech

Scientists discover new thick-thumbed bat species

Published on 22 Jun 2022

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  • Recently, Indian scientists have discovered a new species of thick-thumbed bat.
  • A new species of thick-thumbed bat Glischropus meghalayanus, which has been found in the forests of Meghalaya, has been named after the state which is celebrating its 50th statehood year.
  • The present discovery is the first report of a thick-thumbed bat from India and also from South Asia.
  • Commonly called Meghalaya thick-thumbed bat, the researchers noted that this bat has typical fleshy pads on the thumb and soles of feet which aid them to crawl over smooth surfaces of bamboo internodes.
  • With this new discovery, the total number of bat species known from India stands at 131 species with Meghalaya harbouring the highest bat diversity with 67 species.
Source: SarkariPariksha