Beyond biophobia: positive appraisal of bats among German residents during the COVID-19 pandemic - with consequences for conservation intentions

Bats are often considered to be objects of biophobia, i.e., the tendency to respond with a negative emotion, such as fear or disgust, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, existing studies have rarely compared both positive and negative emotions towards bats, leading to a potential negativity bias. This is crucial given the importance of emotions to bat-related human behaviours, such as in bat conservation-related actions. Via two online surveys conducted among German residents, we aimed to (i) assess positive and negative emotions towards bats, (ii) examine emotional shifts during the pandemic and (iii) explore how emotions, along with socio-demographics, predict the intent to perform bat-conservation actions. The first survey was undertaken ten months after the official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2020 - January 2021), when bats gained societal attention due to speculation about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the second one ran twelve months later (January 2022). Overall, respondents held higher positive emotions than negative ones towards bats in both surveys, with no significant emotional shift observed. Positive emotions positively correlated with intentions to perform bat-conservation actions, while negative emotions showed no such relationship. Although our findings might be context-specific to populations in Germany or Europe, given European-Union legislation protecting bats and their habitats, they highlight the nuanced and complicated emotions that can be associated with certain species. Understanding these emotions can guide targeted conservation strategies and public outreach. Our results caution against overly generalising discussions of biophobia in conservation

Trait association studies in diverse genotypes of rice for their utilization in biofortification

Rice is the staple food crop for more than half of the world population. Thus, rice varieties enriched with various micronutrients qualifies as a better alternative to combat micronutrient deficiency. The present investigation was undertaken to study the degree and direction of association for grain characters especially grain Zinc (Zn) content and grain Iron (Fe) content in 30 genotypes of rice. The correlation coefficient analysis findings at the phenotypic level were used to determine whether the various traits were correlated with yield and the significance of the relationship among them. This data shows significant positive correlation at the phenotypic and genotypic level for grain yield per plant with days to 50% flowering (0.356 & 0.373), number of panicles per plant (0.340 & 0.522), panicle length (0.293 & 0.356), test weight (0.307 & 0.346) and kernel breadth (0.283 & 0.339). The signs (positive or negative) reflect the consequence of increasing or decreasing one variable over the other. The traits plant height ((-0.399 & -0.410) and kernel L/B ratio (-0.237 & -0.291) showed negative correlation  with yield indicating that shorter plants as well as grains having shorter length with more breadth are more likely to produce more yield thus selection should be carried out against height . One possible reason for this could be that in plants with shorter stature have higher nutrient use efficiency and are resistant to lodging. The traits days to 50% flowering, number of panicles per plant, panicle length, and test weight and kernel breadth showed positive correlation indicating that selection towards higher values for these traits would consequently improve the yield. It was also found that the traits Zn and Fe content were positively correlated with each other implying that simultaneous selection of these traits could be done for the purpose of biofortification

Bats in the anthropogenic matrix: Challenges and opportunities for the conservation of chiroptera and their ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes

Intensification in land-use and farming practices has had largely negative effects on bats, leading to population declines and concomitant losses of ecosystem services. Current trends in land-use change suggest that agricultural areas will further expand, while production systems may either experience further intensification (particularly in developing nations) or become more environmentally friendly (especially in Europe). In this chapter, we review the existing literature on how agricultural management affects the bat assemblages and the behavior of individual bat species, as well as the literature on provision of ecosystem services by bats (pest insect suppression and pollination) in agricultural systems. Bats show highly variable responses to habitat conversion, with no significant change in species richness or measures of activity or abundance. In contrast, intensification within agricultural systems (i.e., increased agrochemical inputs, reduction of natural structuring elements such as hedges, woods, and marshes) had more consistently negative effects on abundance and species richness. Agroforestry systems appear to mitigate negative consequences of habitat conversion and intensification, often having higher abundances and activity levels than natural areas. Across biomes, bats play key roles in limiting populations of arthropods by consuming various agricultural pests. In tropical areas, bats are key pollinators of several commercial fruit species. However, these substantial benefits may go unrecognized by farmers, who sometimes associate bats with ecosystem disservices such as crop raiding. Given the importance of bats for global food production, future agricultural management should focus on “wildlife-friendly” farming practices that allow more bats to exploit and persist in the anthropogenic matrix so as to enhance provision of ecosystem services. Pressing research topics include (1) a better understanding of how local-level versus landscape-level management practices interact to structure bat assemblages, (2) the effects of new pesticide classes and GM crops on bat populations, and (3) how increased documentation and valuation of the ecosystem services provided by bats could improve attitudes of producers toward their conservation

Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities

AimComprehensive, global information on species' occurrences is an essential biodiversity variable and central to a range of applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography and conservation. Expert range maps often represent a species' only available distributional information and play an increasing role in conservation assessments and macroecology. We provide global range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species harmonised to the taxonomy of the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) mobilised from two sources, the Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) and the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World (CMW).LocationGlobal.TaxonAll extant mammal species.MethodsRange maps were digitally interpreted, georeferenced, error-checked and subsequently taxonomically aligned between the HMW (6253 species), the CMW (6431 species) and the MDD taxonomies (6362 species).ResultsRange maps can be evaluated and visualised in an online map browser at Map of Life (mol.org) and accessed for individual or batch download for non-commercial use.Main conclusionExpert maps of species' global distributions are limited in their spatial detail and temporal specificity, but form a useful basis for broad-scale characterizations and model-based integration with other data. We provide georeferenced range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species as shapefiles, with species-level metadata and source information packaged together in geodatabase format. Across the three taxonomic sources our maps entail, there are 1784 taxonomic name differences compared to the maps currently available on the IUCN Red List website. The expert maps provided here are harmonised to the MDD taxonomic authority and linked to a community of online tools that will enable transparent future updates and version control

Digital Competency in Agriculture Sector- An Outlook in Indian Context

To become aware with how various digital tools are used in Indian agriculture and related industries nowadays. The information was gathered from various academic works and earlier research. The present study was confined in Southern Gangetic Zone of Bihar State during the year 2021-22. The present investigation was carried out in Southern Gangetic Zone for the study Two aspirational districts (NITI Ayog, 2018) namely Gaya, Banka and two non-aspirational district namely Patna, Bhagalpur. The findings indicated that the majority of farmers had gained significant knowledge about and were interested about adopting digital technology on their farms. The variables level of education, landholding, participation in extension activities, and scientific orientation were found to have positive and significant relationships with the attitude of farmers towards the use of digital tools, whereas other variables like age, farming experience, social participation, and cosmopoliteness were found to have non-significant relationships with the attitude of farmers towards the use of digital tools. Farmers working in digitalized environments still need a strong background of agricultural basics Government should invest time and money in spreading the word about the advantages of digitization. The importance of digital technologies in agriculture was highlighted in the report. This article discusses the various ways that digital tools can be applied, from crop planning to eventual crop purchases by farmers

Evaluation of Diagnostic Potential of Echinococcus granulosus Recombinant EgAgB8/1, EgAgB8/2 and EPC1 Antigens for Cystic Echinococcosis in Goats

Echinococcus granulosus recombinant proteins including two antigen B sub-units EgAgB8/1 and EgAgB8/2 and Echinococcus protoscolex calcium binding protein (EPC1) were expressed in prokaryotic expression vectors. The diagnostic potential of these three recombinant proteins was evaluated in the detection of cystic echinococcosis in goats in IgG-ELISA. The EgAgB8/1 and EgAgB8/2 recombinant proteins reacted fairly with the hydatid infected goats with sensitivity of 66.7% and 80.0% and specificity of 71.3% and 73.3%, respectively while EPC1 recombinant protein showed lower sensitivity (60%) but comparable specificity (72.3%). Cross-reactivity of these three antigens with goat gastro-intestinal strongyle nematodes and Taenia hydatigena under field conditions was studied. Results showed that EgAgB8/1, EgAgB8/2 and EPC1 antigens cross-reacted with most of the parasites in the goat host

A new species in the Hipposideros bicolor group (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from Peninsular Malaysia

Murray, Susan W., Khan, Faisal A. A., Kingston, Tigga, Zubaid, Akbar, Campbell, Polly (2018): A new species in the Hipposideros bicolor group (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from Peninsular Malaysia. Acta Chiropterologica 20 (1): 1-29, DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2018.20.1.00

Hipposideros kunzi M Urray & Khan & Kingston & Zubaid & Campbell 2018, sp. nov.

<i>Hipposideros kunzi</i> sp. nov. Murray, Khan, Kingston, Akbar, and Campbell <p>Kunz’s bicolored leaf-nosed bat</p> <p> <i>Hipposideros bicolor</i> (Temminck, 1834), part.</p> <p> <i>Hipposideros atrox</i> (Andersen, 1918), part.</p> <p> <i>Hipposideros bicolor atrox</i> (Kitchener <i>et al</i>., 1996), part.</p> <p> <i>Hipposideros bicolor-</i> 142 (Kingston <i>et al</i>., 2001)</p> <p> <i>Hipposideros atrox</i> (Douangboupha <i>et al</i>., 2010)</p> <p> <i>Etymology</i></p> <p>The species is named after Thomas H. Kunz in recognition of his many contributions to the ecology and conservation of bats, and his dedication to the promotion of bat research in Malaysia.</p> <p> <i>Holotype</i></p> <p> Texas Tech University TTU 108222 (tissue and karyotype TK 152065; field number VJS 155), adult ♂, body in alcohol, skull extracted, collected and photographed by Robert J. Baker on 6 August 2006 during TTU-UNIMAS Sowell Expedition (Khan <i>et al</i>., 2008). Although the echolocation calls were not recorded for the holotype and the paratypes described here, all of the type specimens had mtDNA haplotypes consistent with the 142 kHz phonic group. This was further supported through comparisons of the noseleaf morphology with that of individuals for which the echolocation call frequency was known.</p> <p>Measurements (in mm) — forearm length: 43.31; fifth, fourth, and third metacarpals lengths, respectively: 32.20, 33.87, 32.88. Length of first and second phalanges of third digits, respectively: 17.47, 16.46; tail length: 25.0; hind-foot length: 7.0; tibia length: 19.70; ear height: 17; body mass: 6.5 g; anterior noseleaf width: 4.66. Skull measurements are provided in Table 3.</p> <p> <i>Type locality</i></p> <p>Bukit Rengit, Krau Wildlife Reserve, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia (WGS84 03°35’45.6”N, 102°10’ 59.0”E — approximate elevation 72 m). The specimen was collected using a harp trap set across a trail near the Institute of Biological Diversity at Bukit Rengit.</p> <p> <i>Paratypes</i></p> <p>Texas Tech University TTU 108417 (tissue and karyotype number TK 152001), adult ♂ (4 August 2006), dry skin and skull with slight crack in brain case; TTU 108209 (tissue number TK 152051), adult ♀ (6 August 2006), dry skin (housed at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, but missing) and skull (housed at the Texas Tech University). Both TTU 108417 and TTU 108209 were captured in Krau Wildlife Reserve (03°35’45.6”N, 102°10’59.0”E — elevation 72 m). Specimen TK 152992, adult ♀ (17 May 2008), dry skin and skull in Department of Wildlife and National Park (DWNP), Malaysia; specimen TK 153519, adult ♀ (20 May 2008), alcohol preserved specimen at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Both TK152992 and 153519 were collected by FAAK during DWNP biodiversity inventory at Kuala Atok, Pahang, peninsular Malaysia (04°16.281’N 102°22.316’E — approximate elevation 85 m).</p> <p> <i>Taxonomic notes</i></p> <p> All specimens previously referred to <i>H. atrox</i> (Douangboubpha <i>et al</i>., 2010) and <i>H. bicolor</i> -142 are here referred to <i>H. kunzi</i> sp. nov. Based on length of forearm, Hill (1963) likely included both <i>H. bicolor</i> and <i>H. kunzi</i> as <i>H. bicolor atrox</i>, although the majority of these individuals are probably <i>H. kunzi</i> based on length of forearm (p. 29, Fig. 4). We cautiously assign the individuals of <i>H. bicolor atrox</i> from both Hill <i>et al</i>. (1986) and Zubaid and Davison (1987) to <i>H. kunzi</i>. It is unclear where the bats were collected, but it is suggested they were captured in Northern peninsular Malaysia, which would suggest that they are indeed <i>H. kunzi</i>. In his description of the new species <i>Hipposideros gentilis</i>, Andersen (1918) described the new subspecies <i>H. g. atrox</i> as having a wide range of forearm lengths that span both <i>H. bicolor</i> and <i>H. kunzi</i>: 42–46.2 mm (Andersen, 1918: 380). Thus he likely measured both individuals of <i>H. bicolor</i> and <i>H. kunzi</i> for the subspecies description.</p> <p> <i>Description</i></p> <p> This is a small to medium-sized hipposiderid bat in the <i>H. bicolor</i> group with a forearm length ranging from 38.8 to 45.6 mm (mean = 42.9 mm ± 0.9), tibia length of 17.1 to 20.6 mm (mean = 18.8 mm ± 0.5), and mass varying from 6.0 to 12.0 g (mean = 8.5 g ± 0.9 — Table 2). The dorsal pelage varies from medium or dark brown to bright orange, but is always bicolored with a white base. The ventral pelage ranges from buff or golden, to bright orange (Fig. 9). The wing and tail membranes are dark brown, as are the ears. The ears are large (mean = 17.6 mm ± 0.6) and rounded with a bluntly pointed tip. The noseleaf lacks supplementary lateral leaflets and has an internarial septum that is generally triangular in shape (wider at the base — Fig. 9). The posterior and anterior portions of the nose are dark brown-grey in color, while the central part of the noseleaf is more flesh colored. The tail is long (mean = 28.7 mm ± 1.8), extending the full length of the uropatagium. The fifth metacarpal is about 74% of forearm length and the first phalanx of the third digit is about 53% of third metacarpal. Echolocation call frequency of the CF component ranges from 133.2 to 147.5 kHz, with a mean call frequency of 143.1 ± 2.0 kHz (Fig. 5 and Table 2).</p> <p> <i>Hipposideros kunzi</i> has a small and elongate skull with the greatest length of skull (GSL) ranging from 17.69 to 19.13 mm (mean = 18.31 ± 0.33 mm). The skull is slightly wider across the zygomata (mean = 9.2 ± 0.2 mm) compared to across the mastoids (mean = 9.2 ± 0.2 mm — Table 3). The distal process of the jugal bone is low and not well defined (Fig. 6). The rostrum is well developed with six nasal inflations. The sagittal crest is well developed and is taller more anteriorly. The constriction behind the orbits is well defined and narrower than the rostrum. The upper toothrow is shorter (CM 3 mean = 6.3 ± 0.1 mm) than the lower (CM 3 mean = 6.8 ± 0.1 mm). The upper incisor is small and both the upper and lower canines are of moderate size. The upper premolar (P 2) is minute and extruded from the toothrow, while the lower premolar (P 2) is about half the height of the second premolar (P 4). The species is sexually dimorphic with respect to magnitude of certain skull measurements: despite being smaller than females, males have longer and taller skulls and longer canines.</p> <p> <i>Comparisons with similar species</i></p> <p> <i>Hipposideros kunzi</i> is one of several <i>Hipposideros</i> species described from the Indo-Malayan region, which superficially resemble <i>H. bicolor</i> and lack supplementary leaflets adjacent to the noseleaf. In peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand, <i>H. kunzi</i> most closely resembles, and is easily confused with, both <i>H. bicolor</i> and <i>H. pomona</i>. Compared to <i>H. bicolor</i>, <i>H. kunzi</i> has a higher echolocation call frequency (Table 2), is generally smaller in body size (Table 2), and has a shorter but wider skull (Table 3 and Fig. 9). In addition, <i>H. kunzi</i> has a narrower anterior noseleaf (Holotype: 4.66 mm) that is slightly curved upwards compared to <i>H. bicolor</i>, which has a wider anterior noseleaf (4.94−5.46 mm, <i>n</i> = 5) that is flattened and square in appearance (Kingston <i>et al</i>., 2006), lighter in color, and has rudimentary supplementary lateral leaflets (Fig. 9). The noseleaf characters, however, are only useful if both species are available for comparison in the field.</p> <p> Based on appearance (Murray <i>et al</i>., 2012: figure S1), echolocation call frequency (<i>H. pomona</i>: 136.4 –139.4 kHz, <i>n</i> = 3), overall size (<i>H. pomona</i> length of forearm: 42.7–44.8 mm, <i>n</i> = 3), and skull size and shape (Fig. 7), it is very difficult to distinguish <i>H. kunzi</i> from <i>H. pomona</i>. The main morphological difference between these species is ear height, with <i>H. pomona</i> having a much larger ear compared to <i>H. kunzi</i>: 20.0– 21.5 mm (<i>n</i> = 3) versus 15.0– 19.5 mm (mean = 17.6 mm — Table 2), respectively. <i>Hipposideros pomona</i> and <i>H. kunzi</i>, however, are not closely related based on both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (Murray <i>et al</i>., 2012; this study).</p> <p> Despite being sister taxa (Fig. 2), having similar appearance, and overlapping in echolocation call frequencies (Kingston <i>et al</i>., 2000), individuals of <i>H. kunzi</i> and <i>H. cineraceus</i> -B are easily distinguished using body size (<i>H. kunzi</i> being larger; Table 2) and nose morphology: <i>H. cineraceus</i> -B has a small swelling in its internarial septum (Fig. 9).</p> <p> <i>Reproduction</i></p> <p> In both 2003 and 2004 in peninsular Malaysia, palpably pregnant females were captured in February and March, and lactating individuals were captured from April through September. Similarly, Nurul-Ain <i>et al</i>. (2017) found females from Krau Wildlife Reserve and Samad Cave (ca. 10 Km from Krau) to be seasonally monestrous, with a peak in pregnancy in March, and lactation in June, although lactating females were captured from April through October.</p> <p> <i>Distribution</i>, <i>ecological notes</i>, <i>and conservation status</i></p> <p> Currently, <i>H. kunzi</i> has only been documented on the Malay Peninsula, between 3°12’N in peninsular Malaysia (Fig. 1, site 12) and the Isthmus of Kra at 10°41’N in Southern Thailand (this study; Douangboubpha <i>et al</i>., 2010). Despite extensive sampling, Douangboubpha and colleagues did not capture <i>H. kunzi</i> in Central or Northern Thailand, suggesting that the northern limit of this species’ range is restricted to the Sundaic biogeographical region, as delimited by the Isthmus of Kra (Douangboubpha <i>et al</i>., 2010). While we did not sample bats in the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia, we expect that <i>H. kunzi</i> should occur throughout the peninsula where suitable habitat exists. Lim <i>et al</i>. (2014) reported a positive correlation between the abundance of <i>H. kunzi</i> (as <i>H. bicolor</i> -142) and latitude across 15 forest sites in peninsular Malaysia, with few or no captures at sites in the southern third of the Peninsula (which may be attributable to the lack of karst). In Singapore, <i>H. bicolor</i> (= <i>H. kunzi</i>) is considered locally extinct due to habitat loss (Pottie <i>et al</i>., 2005). Douangboubpha <i>et al</i>. (2010) included Sumatra in the distribution of <i>H. atrox</i> (= <i>H. kunzi</i>), but because of the high level of cryptic diversity within this group it is impossible to determine whether individuals from Sumatra are conspecific with <i>H. kunzi</i> without genetic data. Based on limited sampling in Borneo (Fig. 1), there is currently no evidence that <i>H. kunzi</i> occurs in Borneo.</p> <p> In peninsular Malaysia, individuals of <i>H. kunzi</i> were captured at all sampling sites (Fig. 1) and were relatively common and widespread in karst regions, but were also common in some non-karst areas (e.g., Krau Wildlife Reserve). Colonies ranged in size from a few individuals to several hundred and were found in caves, mines, and rock crevices. Colonies of <i>H. kunzi</i> were almost always found in caves housing other bat species; these included <i>H. cervinus</i>, <i>H. larvatus</i>, <i>H. armiger</i>, <i>Rhinolophus malayanus</i>, <i>R. stheno</i>, <i>Myotis siligorensis</i>, <i>M. ater</i>, <i>Miniopterus medius</i>, and <i>Taphozous melanopogon.</i> Based on captures and wing morphology, <i>H. kunzi</i> is believed to forage in forested habitats; Douangboupha <i>et al</i>. (2010) suggested that <i>H. kunzi</i> forages in diverse forest types and may be somewhat tolerant of anthropogenically modified landscapes that retain vegetative structure (e.g., secondary forest, rubber and orchard plantations). Given the species’ distribution across the Malay peninsula into Southern Thailand, widespread occurrence and local abundance, we currently recommend <i>H. kunzi</i> be evaluated as a species of Least Concern, following IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria v. 3.1 (IUCN, 2012). Loss and disturbance of caves and foraging habitats would support a higher category of risk.</p> <p> We and others have noted the high levels of cryptic diversity in <i>Hipposideros</i> (e.g., Esselstyn <i>et al</i>., 2012; Murray <i>et al</i>., 2012; Foley <i>et al</i>., 2017). We hope that our taxonomic delineation of a new member of the <i>bicolor</i> species group, <i>H. kunzi</i>, will motivate further efforts to resolve the taxonomy of remaining cryptic lineages. Such efforts are essential to the conservation of the remarkable diversity that exists within this already speciose genus.</p>Published as part of <i>Murray, Susan W., Khan, Faisal A. A., Kingston, Tigga, Zubaid, Akbar & Campbell, Polly, 2018, A new species in the Hipposideros bicolor group (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) from Peninsular Malaysia, pp. 1-29 in Acta Chiropterologica 20 (1)</i> on pages 21-23, DOI: 10.3161/15081109ACC2018.20.1.001, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3944846">http://zenodo.org/record/3944846</a&gt

Isolation and characterisation of microsatellite loci in the papillose woolly bat, Kerivoula papillosa (Chiroptera : Vespertilionidae)

The papillose woolly bat (Kerivoula papillosa) is one of the most well known species of an understudied bat genus that may be particularly vulnerable to disturbance and fragmentation events. We describe 22 novel microsa tellite loci, 17 of which are polymorphic in K. papillosa, and one of which is polymorphic in a related species K. pellucida. When tested in a single population, none of the markers significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg expectations, showed the presence of null alleles or exhibited linkage disequilibrium. These markers will be useful in determining impacts of forest fragmentation on this species