Grison vittatus
- noun
- Specialized
- The Grison vittatus hunts small rodents and birds in its forest habitat.
Examples
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Biologists observed a pair of Grison vittatus near the riverbank at dawn.
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The Grison vittatus is often found in forests.
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The Grison vittatus is less well known than the closely related tayra.
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Did you know that the Grison vittatus hunts at night?
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Biologists observed a pair of Grison vittatus near the riverbank at dawn.
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The Grison vittatus hunts small rodents and birds in its forest habitat.
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Did you know that the Grison vittatus hunts at night?
Synonyms
1
9.9
A small meat-eating mammal from Central and South America that looks like a weasel
A meat-eating animal like a large weasel with a grey back and dark belly from Central and South America
Surface Forms
Morphology
grison + vittatus
This is a taxonomic binomial composed of the English noun 'grison' (the animal) plus a Latin epithet 'vittatus' (literally 'banded' or 'striped'), so the meaning is compositionally derived as ‘a grison with banded/striped markings’ if both constituents are understood. However, 'vittatus' is a Latin scientific adjective not found in the learner dictionary and unlikely to be known by a B1 learner, so the relation is only partially transparent to typical learners.
Etymology
Grison vittatus: The name Grison vittatus comes from words that describe how the animal looks: grison means 'grey' and vittatus is Latin for 'banded' or 'striped'. Because the animal has a grey back and a darker belly, the name gives a clear picture of this small meat-eating mammal today.