Photographic record of the Painted Bat (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Kerivoula picta (Pallas, 1767)) from the Terai Region of Uttar Pradesh, India

The Painted Bat Kerivoula picta is a distinctive foliage-roosting vespertilionid, widely distributed across southern and southeastern Asia. This study reports the photographic records of Kerivoula picta from the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, northern India, based on three independent observations between 2017 and 2025. Records were obtained from Dudhwa National Park (January 2017), Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary (October 2024), and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (October 2025). The morphological features of all individuals were bright orange pelage, contrasting black wing membranes, orange-pigmented metacarpals, large funnel-shaped ears, and elongated tragi. These observations represent a significant northward range extension into the Terai Arc Landscape and emphasize the value of opportunistic photographic documentation. The findings also highlight the urgent need for systematic chiropteran surveys combining acoustic monitoring, and roost searches to comprehensively assess bat diversity and inform conservation planning in the Terai forests of northern India.