In 2013, an international team, including researchers from the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum (PSUNHM) at the Department of Biology of the Faculty of Science of Prince of Songkla University, together with researchers from the National University of Laos and the Harrison Institute in UK, has announced their recent discovery on three new species of mammals from Thailand and Laos. These species include a giant flying-squirrel, a tube-nosed bat, and an extinct serotine bat.
The giant flying-squirrel, namely the Laotian giant flying-squirrel or Biswamoyopteruslaoensis, was collected from a local food market in Bolikhamxai Province, central Laos. It is possible that it was hunted by local hunters in 'Nam Kading' or Khammouan Limestone National Biodiversity Conservation Area. This is the second report of this genus of giant flying-squirrel in the world. The first and only previous record of the genus, Biswamoyoopterusbiswasi, was illustrated from India in 1981.
The tube-nosed bat, Murina balaensis or Bala tube-nosed bat, was found in the Malaysian-type tropical rain forest, namely Bala Forest, in Narathiwat Province, southern Thailand. The species was named after the place it was found. It is a very small insectivorous vespertilionid with a forearm length of 28-30 mm.
Another new species of mammal from Thailand is an extinct Serotine that lived in the late Pleistocene or about 16,350 years ago. This new fossil bat, namely Chutamas's Serotine Eptesicuschutamasae, is named to honor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chutamas Satasook, the PSU's Vice President for Academic Affairs and the PSUNHM Director, who lead, support and coordinate the studies of small mammals in the region under the SE Asia Taxonomic Network, led by the Harrison Insititute, U.K.
The new species of mammals discovered suggest a very high and cryptic biodiversity in the region. With a rapid loss of forest areas and natural habitats, it is an urgent task of researchers to discover and describe these animals before they become extinct without even being known to science.
