The microchiropteran bat fauna of Singapore

Abstract

The historical mammalian literature and recent surveys document a total of 24 microchiropteran species for the small equatorial island nation of Singapore. Intensive surveys carried out in the 1990s and subsequent records indicate that, of these 24 taxa, 15 are still present, another eight species, including all three hipposiderids, have become locally extinct and one other is indeterminate. Almost half (6) of the surviving species have very low abundances. Three new records of bat species in Singapore, namely Nycteris tragata, Rhinolophus lepidus and Murina suilla are assumed to have been present in the past but not detected in earlier surveys. Nycteris tragata and M. suilla are categorized as locally endangered. The vespertilionid, Myotis oreias, recorded previously only in Singapore, was not found in this survey and may be globally extinct.