Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 5 Jul 10;
RIGHT in central Singapore, under a flyover, is the home of a colony of more than 1,000 cave nectar bats.
They have been included in a survey of the island's bat population, which has uncovered a new species of bat and two other species which were previously thought to be extinct here.
Over the past two years, about 20 volunteers have joined forces with the National Parks Board (NParks) to scour the jungles of Bukit Timah and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve every Saturday night. Led by chief researcher Leong Tzi Ming, 37, the study was intended to look at the possible effects of climate change on flora and fauna here.
'As rainfall is at an all-time low, historically quite a number of animals can be affected, especially frogs which need water,' Dr Leong said. 'We're taking the opportunity to see how things are doing and if there are any sharp drops since the last survey, which was done in the 1990s.'
Its key findings surprised him, with several new discoveries. The last study cited 17 species of bats here. The latest put the number at at least 26.
Among them is the newly discovered Hardwicke's woolly bat. Covered in greyish-brown fur, it ranks as one of the smallest bats here, with a wingspan of just 10cm, and weighs up to only 6g.
Between July 2008 and February last year, nine of the bats, of both genders, were caught in Upper Seletar and Upper Peirce reservoir areas.Dr Leong's group also rediscovered two bat species, one of which was last seen over a century ago.
Sightings of the bicoloured roundleaf bat were last recorded over 130 years ago, but the group discovered three females at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The bats, which have a wingspan of 20cm, weigh between 7g and 10g.
Associate Professor Vilma D'Rozario from the National Institute of Education, who is the co-founder of environmental education group Cicada Tree Eco-Place and has volunteered her time to help with the surveys, said: 'These bats can consume up to 600 mosquitoes in one night. They are unseen and unappreciated pest-busters.'The other elusive species - the naked bulldog bat - was also found at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, where four were caught.
It is South-east Asia's largest insect-eating bat with a wingspan of 60cm, and weighs up to 200g.The creatures appear hairless, but are actually covered with short fur. They have tails, large canine teeth, and feed on large, hard-shelled insects which are too big for other bats to devour.
The first recorded sighting here was in 1878. In 2005, Dr Leong encountered a small flock in flight at dusk in the forest near Rifle Range Road.
'I have heard so much about this bat. It was a gold mine of information having one in our hands, despite the smell,' he said.
It has glands in its throat which secrete a yellow, oily substance, which Dr Leong described as smelling like 'stale socks drenched in engine oil'.
'It stays on the hands, particularly fingernails, for days. We are not sure what it's for, but it could be used to keep the wings and skin in good condition,' he said, adding that the team hopes to establish how large its population is in Singapore.
He acknowledged that bats could spread diseases, but explained that they are vital in the polli-nation and seed dispersal of fruit such as durians and bananas. That is why his group keeps the locations of bat enclaves secret from the public.'People have been known to hunt bats for food, and there is a fear that they carry disease.'
The fieldwork aspect of the survey, sponsored by HSBC, has been completed, and Dr Leong expects the results to be compiled next year.