The Bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) of the Upper Imbang- Caliban Watershed, North Negros Forest Reserve, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Abstract

Lack of available information about ecological requirements, habitat ranges, and abundance provides continual problems for chiropteran conservation initiatives in the Philippines. Negros Island (Central Visayas, Philippines) represents one of the ten highest-ranking sites globally for megachiropteran diversity yet it is also listed as a priority site for survey work. This paper reports on the first survey on the bat fauna of the Imbang-Caliban watershed of the North Negros Forest Reserve, Negros Island. A total of 13 species of bats from 369 individuals were recorded. These included 9 megachiropterans and 4 microchiropterans. Over 40% of the species recorded were endemic to the Philippines. The most notable species present was Nyctimene rabori. These initial results stress the need for more comprehensive surveys in order to implement effective conservation measures for both endemic and threatened species.