Importance of Mangroves for Bat Research and Conservation: A Case Study from Vietnam with Notes on Echolocation of Myotis hasselti

Mangrove ecosystems play important ecological roles, including the mitigation of global climate change and biodiversity conservation. However, they have received little attention from scientists for research conservation bats general biodiversity. In Vietnam, bat species inhabiting mangroves been relatively unstudied, while this ecosystem is located along country’s coastal zones has declined dramatically due to development agriculture, wind energy other threats. To initially fill gap, five surveys were conducted between September 2019 November 2021 within Ha Long Bay Ben Tre province, which contain representative mangrove areas northern southern regions respectively. Bats captured using mist nets, mobile nets hand nets. Their echolocation calls recorded analyzed PCTape system Selena software, Five recorded: Cynopterus brachyotis, Macroglossus minimus, Myotis hasselti, pilosus Taphozous melanopogon. They are all new both province. Four (C. M. hasselti pilosus) rarely documented in Vietnam but commonly areas. Of these species, a globally “Vulnerable” species. While searching prey, emitted high sweeping about 96 24 kHz with signal duration 5 ms. This sometimes uses social horseshoe-shaped structure, last 15 ms 26 front search call. Results our indicated importance potential