Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)!

Bats have a special place in my heart because they are the first group of wildlife that I started my career with as an ecologist.  They are always the first animals that I search for when I go to a new place; however, I am not very lucky at finding them.  The last time I saw a wild bat was almost four years ago in Taiwan!

Well, today I saw one outside the DNA building hanging right by the door.  I think it is a Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) because according to this PDF document, it should have long silky fur and a large nose.

 Long silky fur

A fairly large nose.

What a cool creature.  I hope it finds a better place to rest tomorrow because it was about 3 feet off the ground next to the building entrance, not an ideal place at all.