**Taxonomy and Distribution:**
– Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) described in 1796 by Palisot de Beauvois.
– Genus name possibly derived from Greek for ‘able to fly’ or ‘house flier’.
– Species name ‘fuscus’ means brown in Latin.
– Type species for the genus Eptesicus, with 11-12 recognized subspecies.
– Widely distributed in North America, the Caribbean, and parts of South America.
– Found in various habitats like douglas-fir forests and urban parks.
– Related species include E. anatolicus and E. serotinus.
**Behavior and Ecology:**
– Big brown bats use echolocation for navigation.
– Modulate pulse intervals to overcome range ambiguity in cluttered surroundings.
– Males and females exhibit differences in habitat use.
– Roost selection based on diet and safety factors.
– Maternity colony bats display specific feeding behaviors.
**Health and Diseases:**
– Resistant to white-nose syndrome.
– Susceptible to rabies virus infections.
– Studies conducted on rabies prevalence in wild-caught bats.
– Research on regional blood distribution during torpor and arousal.
– Experimental infections with rabies virus in big brown bats.
**Conservation and Management:**
– Efforts include building bat houses for conservation.
– Standards and medical management guidelines for captive insectivorous bats.
– Monitoring national surveillance trends for rabies among bats.
– Surveys for West Nile virus in bats.
– Conservation actions aim to protect this abundant species.
**Physiology and Adaptations:**
– Possess brown fat aiding in thermogenesis.
– Studies on morphology and function of pubic nipples in bats.
– Research on thermogenic effect during arousal from hibernation.
– Presence of DDE in brown and white fat of hibernating bats.
– Adaptations like thick ears and specific physiological responses observed.
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesthetic concerns. The term gable wall or gable end more commonly refers to the entire wall, including the gable and the wall below it. Some types of roof do not have a gable (for example hip roofs do not). One common type of roof with gables, the 'gable roof', is named after its prominent gables.
A parapet made of a series of curves (Dutch gable) or horizontal steps (crow-stepped gable) may hide the diagonal lines of the roof.
Gable ends of more recent buildings are often treated in the same way as the Classic pediment form. But unlike Classical structures, which operate through trabeation, the gable ends of many buildings are actually bearing-wall structures.
Gable style is also used in the design of fabric structures, with varying degree sloped roofs, dependent on how much snowfall is expected.
Sharp gable roofs are a characteristic of the Gothic and classical Greek styles of architecture.
The opposite or inverted form of a gable roof is a V-roof or butterfly roof.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Gable:
A gable is the triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. It is typically found at the end of a pitched roof and helps to give a building its distinctive shape.