A team of researchers from the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), Dwarka, has found a specific species of bats in the city of Delhi. Called the Asiatic Lesser Yellow House Bat, they have been spotted in the city for the first time. These bats have been seen only in Alwar and Rajasthan yet. The species is called as a generalist which resides in different habitats. They can be found in tree hollows, construction crevices and toilet ducts.

An assistant professor from the University Sumit Dookia and his student Rajlakshmi Mishra have found this species. They have been doing a study on bats in Delhi for 4 years. The new finding has also been published in the Journal on New Biological Reports. The team has found about 10 to 11 species which have their habitats in the capital city. They have looked through monuments, trees, caves along with the high-rise buildings in the city. They used special ultrasound instruments that record their calls. This bat is one that infests on insects such as beetles, termites, moths as compared to the other bats which usually just eat fruits. This ability of the Asiatic Lesser Yellow House Bat has made its survival in the city feasible say, experts.

As quoted to a report in India Today, Dr Dookia said, "We first saw a pregnant female of the species, Lesser Yellow House Bat, in a toilet duct on the third floor of our GGSIPU building. We understood that they have a colony there but couldn't find a male." It is difficult to catch these birds often even with nets as they fly high.

The bats that were recorded in the earlier study by C Srinivasulu and Bhargavi Srinivasulu in 2007, are no more found in the city. They have been searched for in the caves and ruins but they are no more. So does the new discovery serve as a good sign for Delhi's ecology?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 12, 2018 01:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).