Vol
1 No 1
Dec 93
Wildlife Sanctuary
(Part 1)
(Part 2) what you can experience
at the Park
Demystifying Migration:
A study of birds on the
East Asian Flyway
Insectivorous Bats: Studying them at
the Park
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 A
Study of
Insectivorous Bats
at Sungei Buloh
Update
on the study
A study of the roosting
behaviour of insectivorous bats and their echolocation patterns is being
conducted by the NUS Zoological Department. Heading the research is Dr
David Lane who is assisted by Masters student, MS Shirley Pottic. The
project, financed by the National Parks Board, is aimed at finding out
if insectivorous bats will use specially constructed boxes to sleep and
rest in.
The
project will also monitor their calls and study how they orientate
themselves through the use of sounds.
The study is conducted in six areas, the Sungei Buloh Nature Park,
the Central Catchment Area (Seletar and Macritchie Reservoirs), Bukit
Timah Hill, Sime Road, Kent Ridge and NTU at Jurong. |
Echolocation
is the orientation of direction through the use of sounds. Insectivorous
bats of the suborder Microchiroptera produce sounds in the high
frequency range (above 20kHz and above human hearing range) for
navigation and in obtaining food.
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Bat
boxes being checked for
indication of use, the most
obvious being faecal matter |
In
Sungei Buloh, the boxes are put up on coconut trees about ten feet
above ground. On the average, three boxes of two different designs
are used on each tree. Boxes are placed in different directions.
Studies in temperate countries indicate that bats prefer boxes placed
facing the sun because heat that is retained provides warmth when
temperatures drop at night.
Findings from the research will help in the conservation of bats in
tropical countries. In many Asian countries, bats are a gourmet's
delight and are traditionally prized for medicinal properties. However,
insectivorous bats have another role to play in the chain of life—feeding
on and controlling insect populations. |
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