Ejeta's house bat
Ejeta's house bat (Scotophilus ejetai) is a species of vesper bat found in Ethiopia. It was described as a new species of bat in 2014.
| Ejeta’s house bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Scotophilus |
| Species: | S. ejetai |
| Binomial name | |
| Scotophilus ejetai Brooks & Bickham, 2014 | |
 | |
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 2014. The eponym for the species name "ejetai" is Ethiopian-American scientist Gebisa Ejeta. Ejeta was honored with the species name because the holotype was collected from Ethiopia, and "the results of [Ejeta's] work have dramatically enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa."[2]
Description
Its forearm length is approximately 50 mm (2.0 in). The fur on its dorsal surface is a reddish mahogany color, while the fur on its ventral surface is orange with a grayish tint towards its posterior.[2]
Conservation
It is currently assessed as least concern by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification because the locations it is known from are widely-dispersed, suggesting a wide geographic range. Its range possibly includes protected areas.[2]
References
- Monadjem, A. (2017). "Scotophilus ejetai". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T84466810A84466814. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T84466810A84466814.en.
- Brooks, D. M.; Bickham, J. W. (2014). "New species of Scotophilus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). Museum of Texas Tech University (326).