Canis latrans
- noun
- /ˈkeɪnɪs ˈleɪtrənz/
- Specialized
:
Canis latrans
- Many textbooks refer to the coyote by its scientific name, Canis latrans.
Examples
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The species Canis latrans is commonly found throughout the western United States.
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Scientists observed the behavior of Canis latrans in different habitats.
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The Canis latrans is known for its adaptability.
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Did you know that Canis latrans can be found in urban areas?
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Many textbooks refer to the coyote by its scientific name, Canis latrans.
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Scientists observed the behavior of Canis latrans in different habitats.
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The species Canis latrans is commonly found throughout the western United States.
Synonyms
70
2.8
A small wild dog that lives in North America and often howls
1
6.0
A small wild animal that looks like a dog from western North America, often called a coyote
A small wild dog that lives in western North America and often howls at night
Surface Forms
Morphology
Canis + latrans
This is a Latin scientific binomial: knowing 'Canis' signals the dog/wolf genus so a learner could infer it denotes a canid, but 'latrans' is a Latin word (not transparently understood by a B1 learner) and does not directly yield the specific meaning 'coyote'. Scientific names are cross-linguistically identical but require background biological knowledge, so the expression gives a partial clue but not the exact meaning.
Etymology
Canis latrans comes from Latin words that mean 'barking dog': Canis means 'dog' and latrans means 'barking' or 'howling'. Early scientists gave this name because coyotes make sharp barks and long howls, so today Canis latrans is the 'scientific name' for the 'coyote'.