Mauritian Tomb Bat - Taxonomy and Etymology

Taxonomy and Etymology

The French naturalist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire identified the Mauritian tomb bat in 1818 when he compared the at the time unknown specimen to another newly described bat from Egypt, the Egyptian Tomb Bat. The Egyptian tomb bat (T. perforatus) is the same size as its Mauritian cousin but does not have the completely white belly that the latter possess.

The name "tomb" bat and the genus name Taphozous is derived from the Greek word for a tomb or grave. Mauritianus simply means "of Mauritius," where it was first discovered. Though the name would suggest a dark, closed-in habitat, the Mauritian tomb bat lives in a variety of environments and is not restricted tombs or caves. The term "tomb bat" was given because the genus is commonly seen on the walls of old tombs in their respective ranges.

Synonyms for the Mauritian tomb bat include Taphozous mauritianus, T. leucopterus, T. dobsoni, and T. maritianus var. vinerascens. The Afrikaans word for this species is witlyfvlermuis, which refers to the white ventral surface that is characteristic of the species. Other species of the genus include the Coastal Tomb Bat, Hildegarde's Tomb Bat, Black-bearded Tomb Bat, and several others (For more species, see taphozous).