Etymologia: Eptesicus fuscus

[ep´tes-ə-kəs fəs-kəs]

The big brown bat (Figure). From the Greek epten, "I fly," plus oikos, "house," and the Latin fuscus, "dusk." A nocturnal, insectivorous bat, Eptesicus fuscus females separate after mating into maternity colonies that are frequently found in attics of buildings or other manmade locations, since they prefer warmer temperatures in which to raise their young.

Figure.

Photograph courtesy of Ivan Kuzmin.

Sources: McElhinny T. A mammalian lexicon. [cited 2005 Oct 13]. Available from http://www.msu.edu/~mcelhinn/zoology/mammalwords.htm; Webster's Third New International Dictionary (unabridged). Springfield (MA), 1993; and wikipedia.org.