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Glite Dictionary
Vespertilio murinus

Vespertilio murinus

9.9
A common bat from Europe and Asia with white tips on its fur
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Vespertilio murinus
  • The Vespertilio murinus is easily recognized by its distinctive white-tipped hairs.

Examples

  • The Vespertilio murinus is often found near water bodies throughout Eurasia.

  • Researchers studied the unique coloration of the Vespertilio murinus for clues about its habitat.

  • At dusk, the Vespertilio murinus emerges from its roost to feed on flying insects.

  • The Vespertilio murinus is often seen in urban areas.

  • Have you ever spotted a Vespertilio murinus in the wild?

  • At dusk, the Vespertilio murinus emerges from its roost to feed on flying insects.

  • You can often hear the echolocation calls of the Vespertilio murinus at twilight.

Synonyms

frosted bat
vsVespertilio murinus
  • UK
8.8

A small bat with fur that has white tips

is the scientific name used for that same Eurasian species

Surface Forms

Vespertilio murinus singular
Vespertilio murini plural

Morphology

Vespertilio + murinus

The components 'Vespertilio' (a bat genus) and 'murinus' (mouse-like or pertaining to mice) transparently combine to indicate a bat species with mouse-like characteristics, so a learner who knows both constituents could infer it refers to a kind of bat. However, the precise common name 'parti-coloured bat', the specific trait of white-tipped hairs, and the exact distribution are technical details not predictable from the Latin binomial, making the overall transparency only partial.

Etymology

Vespertilio murinus comes from old Latin words: Vespertilio hints at 'evening' because the bat flies at dusk, and murinus means 'mouse-coloured' for its grey, white-tipped fur. So the name describes an 'evening' bat that looks a bit like a small 'mouse', which fits this species today.