'Rare orange coloured bat' spotted in Chhattisgarh's Kanger Ghati National Park

Tags: Science and Technology

A 'rare orange coloured bat' known as 'painted bat' has been spotted in a banana plantation in Parali Bodal village of Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.

An overview of the news

• The scientific name of this painted bat is 'Kerivoula picta'. This species has been kept in the category of globally endangered.

• This species is commonly found in Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

• In India, this bat has so far been seen in the Western Ghats, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Kanger valley of Chhattisgarh.

• The painted bat is characterised by bright orange and black wings, dense orange fur on the back and warm buff underside.

• There are about 131 species of bats in India and 31 of them are found in the central parts of the country.

• Kanger Valley National Park

• Kanger Ghati National Park was established in 1982.

• The name of this national park is derived from the Kanger River. This park is located in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, which is spread over an area of about 200 square kilometres.

• Due to its high biodiversity it has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve.

• The national park is famous for its limestone caves which also provide a suitable habitat for bats.

• Other 2 National Parks of Chhattisgarh

• Indravati National Park

• Guru Ghasidas National Park