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Curiosities of Biological Nomenclature
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Mark Isaak
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Some names are or seem to be onomatopoeic representations of the
animals' call.
Anas crecca Linnaeus (common teal)
Cettia cetti (Cetti's warbler) Apparently named
after an 18th century Italian zoologist; coincidentally it
continually sings its name.
Crex crex (corncrake)
Cuculus (cuckoo)
Eleutherodactylus coqui Thomas, 1966
(Puerto Rican frog, the coquí) Named for the male's call. The
first syllable, the "co", is heard only by males of the species and
establishes ranges; the "qui" is an octave higher and attracts
females.
Equus quagga Gmelin 1788 (extinct South African zebra
variant) The Khoikhoi word "quahah" is an imitation of the animal's
cry, "kwa-ha-ha, kwa-ha-ha," quickly repeated.
Gekko (gecko) The name comes from the
lizard's vocalization.
Lullula Linnaeus 1758 (woodlark)
Ninox boobook (Latham, 1801) (mopoke, an
Australian owl) "Mopoke" and "boobook" imitate the same
call.
Peliperdix coqui (Smith, 1836)
(bird)
Pterodroma cahow (Nichols & Mowbray,
1916) (Bermuda petrel)
Roncador Jordan & Gilbert, 1880
(croaker) The name is from Spanish for "snorer", which is ultimately
imitative in origin.
Streptopelia decaocto Frivaldszky, 1838
(Eurasian collared dove) Its specific epithet translates from Greek as
"ten eight" and comes from the bird's call. In Greek fable, the
divinely sent bird announced the inadequate salary of a servant
girl.
Streptopelia turtur (turtle dove) Its
scientific and common names derive from its "turr, turr"
call.
Surnia ulula (northern hawk owl)
Torotix Brodkob, 1963 [nomen dubium] From an
imitation of a bird's cry attributed to a flamingo by the ancient Greek
comic playwright Aristophanes in his play "The Birds." The type
specimen, a fossil femur, was originally identified as belonging to a
Cretaceous flamingo; its true classification is disputed.
Upupa epops Linnaeus, 1758 (hoopoe) Epops is a character
in Aristophanes' "Birds"; she says "Epopoi popopopoi..."
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