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Glite Dictionary
Cynocephalus variegatus

Cynocephalus variegatus

9.9
A small mammal from Southeast Asia that glides between trees using skin flaps
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Cynocephalus variegatus
  • The Cynocephalus variegatus uses its skin membrane to glide gracefully between the tall trees of its rainforest habitat.

Examples

  • The Cynocephalus variegatus spends most of its life gliding from tree to tree in the rainforest canopy.

  • Researchers observed that Cynocephalus variegatus is primarily nocturnal, feeding on leaves and fruits at night.

  • Deforestation has threatened the natural habitat of the Cynocephalus variegatus in Southeast Asia.

  • The Cynocephalus variegatus is known for its gliding abilities.

  • Have you ever seen a Cynocephalus variegatus in the wild?

  • In the evenings, Cynocephalus variegatus can be seen soaring through the treetops in search of fruits to eat.

  • Scientists have studied the unique gliding mechanism of the Cynocephalus variegatus to understand its adaptation to arboreal life.

Synonyms

flying lemur
vsCynocephalus variegatus
  • Philippine
8.9

A night animal that lives in trees in Southeast Asia and glides on skin flaps

is the specific scientific species name for that gliding mammal

Surface Forms

Cynocephalus variegatus singular

Morphology

Cynocephalus + variegatus

The name is a taxonomic binomial: the genus 'Cynocephalus' (a group of gliding mammals) plus a species epithet, so a learner who knows the genus would correctly infer this refers to a specific species of that gliding mammal. However, species epithets are Latin and taxonomic naming is specialized (and 'variegatus' is not a common English word here), so the full sense and any descriptive nuance are not fully predictable to a typical B1 learner.

Etymology

Cynocephalus variegatus comes from old words: Cynocephalus means 'dog-headed' and variegatus means 'varied' or 'spotted'. Early naturalists thought the animal's face looked a bit like a small dog and its fur had patches, so the name paints a picture of this gliding lemur and helps you remember the species.