Diurnal Roosting Behaviour of Indian Flying Fox P. medius Temmink, 1825 (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Kurukshetra District, Haryana

This study investigates the diurnal roosting behaviour of Pteropus medius, the only flying fox species in mainland India, within the semi-arid region of Kurukshetra district, Haryana (29.969° N and 76.878° E). Observations were conducted from April 2021 to March 2022, employing scan sampling technique, totalling 960 min at each of the two roosting sites: Thana and Jyotisar. A total of 3498 instances of 15 behavioural units at Jyotisar and 3732 instances at Thana were recorded. Predominant diurnal activities included sleeping, grooming, wing flapping, and wing spreading. Non-parametric statistical analyses, including the Kruskal–Wallis test, were employed to discern significant variations in the occurrences of these behaviours. Results reveal significant variation (p < 0.05) in the frequency of sleeping, grooming, and wing flapping across different hours of the day, while incidences of wing spreading show non-significant variation (p ˃ 0.05). Additionally, a significant disparity (p < 0.05) in behaviour occurrences between seasons was observed, with sleeping and wing spreading exhibiting higher frequencies in winter compared to summer, whereas grooming and wing flapping were more prevalent in summer. The assessment of impact of weather parameters (temperature, humidity) on diurnal roosting behaviour, revealed a significant correlations (p < 0.05). Sleeping and wing spreading behaviours was negatively related with temperature and humidity, while grooming and wing flapping displayed a positive relation with these environmental factors. Interestingly, no significant correlation (p ˃ 0.05) was observed between precipitation and the diurnal roosting behaviour of P. medius. These findings offer valuable insights into understanding the behaviour of this species, facilitating the formulation of effective management strategies and conservation efforts.