Survival of spermatozoa in the female genital tract of the Indian vespertilionid bat, Pipistrellus ceylonicus chrysothrix (Wroughton)

Abstract

1. Inseminated females specimens of the tropical vespertilionid bat, Pipistrellus ceylonicus chrysothrix, were kept isolated from the males for varying lengths of time during the months of June and July in 1968 and 1969. 2. Every female isolated after the second week of June had undergone copulation. Ovulation and fertilization had not occurred until the 10th of July. 3. Sperms introduced on or before 25th June did survive inside the genital tract of the females and successfully fertilized the ova released during the second week of July. 4. On circumstantial evidence it is concluded that presumably in all the females of this species copulation occurs during the first week of June, and the inseminated sperms are able to survive inside the genital tract of the female and fertilize the ova released some five weeks later in July.