Every animal in the world has a scientific name. They usually have Latin or Greek roots, because these languages are used in science as international languages. They are also closely related to the main characteristics of each species. For example, the name may indicate the presence of a long tail or refer to the color of the coat. Often a species is named after the location where it was discovered or the name of the scientist who made the discovery. Sometimes scientists name animals after famous figures like Bob Marley and George W. Bush. You might be surprised, but in the southeastern United States you can find swamp rabbits named after Hugh Hefner, the founder of the adult magazine Playboy! Among the animals, there are species with silly names that may make you smile awkwardly. We'll talk about them now.
The names of some animal species can cause an awkward smile
The authors of the scientific publication IFL Science shared a selection of animals with stupid names. We invite you to look at their photographs and learn more interesting facts about these creatures.
Contents
- 1 Jelly fish
- 2 Small frogs in Madagascar
- 3 Ancient species of parrots Vini vidivici
- 4 Australian wasp Aha ha
- 5 Ground beetle Agra vation
Jelly fish
The first strangely named creature is the jelly fish, often referred to elsewhere as the Gelae fish. You might think that this is an absurd-looking fish that lives somewhere in the depths of the ocean.
The bug Gelae donut is a relative of Gelae fish. Source: .inaturalist.org
But no, the jellyfish is a tiny bug that feeds on mushrooms. The genus of these insects was first discovered in 2004, and its other representatives also have strange names. For example, the genus also includes the bugs Gelae baen (sounds like “jelly candies”), Gelae belae (jelly belly), Gelae donut (jelly donut) and Gelae roll (jelly roll).
Little frogs in Madagascar
Sometimes the names of animals make you smile with their banality. In 2019, in the forests of Madagascar, scientists discovered frogs that are different from all the others. A separate genus was allocated for them, the name of which the researchers did not bother too much about. They decided not to associate it with the location of its discovery or the name of a famous person. The genus of frogs is today known as “mini” because its members are very small.
Frog from the genus Mini. Source: 4everscience.com
This group includes only three species of frogs: Mini ature, Mini mum and Mini scule. Their body length is only 9.7 millimeters.
Read also:The terrible leaf climber is the most poisonous frog in the world, killing with one touch
An ancient species of parrots Vini vidivici
Today science knows about the existence of about 400 species of parrots. Some species have long been extinct, and researchers know about them only from fossilized remains. Among them there is a parrot with the species name Vini vidivici. Unfortunately, it does not make you smile, because it ironically hints at the cruelty of people towards nature.
The estimated appearance of the Vini vidivici parrot. Source: commons.wikimedia.org
The name Vini vidivici is very similar to the Latin phrase “veni, vidi, vici”, which translates as “I came, I saw, I conquered”. It is believed that about 1,300 years ago, people sailed to the Marquesas Islands in the central Pacific Ocean and exterminated this bird species. They literally came, saw and defeated defenseless creatures.
Article on the topic: A selection of the most beautiful and rare parrots in the world – some don’t even know about their existence
Australian wasp Aha ha
Australia has many unusual animals that are not found on other continents. For example, unique wasps live there, the species name of which sounds like “Aha ha”. It seems that the scientists who discovered them hate wasps so much that they decided to laugh at them, at least “on paper.”
Wasp Aha ha. Source: australiangeographic.com.au
In fact, the author of this name is the American scientist Arnold Menke. In 1983, he told the story of its appearance. When he examined wasps new to science, he suddenly exclaimed “Aha!” (Eureka!). It dawned on him that wasps might belong to a new genus, but his colleague only responded with a skeptical “Ha!” As a result, they decided to name the wasps Aha ha.
You might be interested:Why are so many poisonous creatures concentrated in Australia?
Carab beetles Agra vation
Carabids are the largest family of beetles on Earth. It is believed that there are up to 50,000 species of these insects in the world, and many of them have not yet been studied by science. Capturing these tiny creatures is a very painstaking task, so researcher Terry Erwin gave one of the species the name Agravation, which is similar to the English word Agravation (deterioration).
Carabid beetle Agravation. Source: zoopicture.ru
This researcher also gave the ground beetles other funny names. For example, thanks to him, one of the species is called Agra cadabra, and another Agra katewinsletae, in honor of the actress Kate Winslet from Titanic.
Be sure to subscribe to our Zen channel. You can leave comments there!
If you liked the article, pay attention to the material “The Funniest Wildlife Photos of 2023.” There's a lot to see!