Macroclemys temmincki
- noun
- /ˌmækroʊˈklɛmɪs ˈtɛmɪŋki/
- Specialized
:
tortuga aligator
- Many wildlife experts consider Macroclemys temmincki to be the largest freshwater turtle in North America.
Examples
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The Macroclemys temmincki is renowned for its powerful jaws and prehistoric appearance.
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Researchers observed a Macroclemys temmincki basking on a log near the riverbank.
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The Macroclemys temmincki is often found in rivers and swamps.
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Have you ever seen a Macroclemys temmincki in the wild?
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Many wildlife experts consider Macroclemys temmincki to be the largest freshwater turtle in North America.
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Researchers observed a Macroclemys temmincki basking on a log near the riverbank.
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The Macroclemys temmincki is renowned for its powerful jaws and prehistoric appearance.
Synonyms
1
7.9
A large freshwater turtle from the southeastern United States with three shell ridges and a powerful jaw
A large freshwater turtle with three ridges on its shell found in the southeastern United States
Surface Forms
Morphology
Macroclemys + temmincki
This is a Latinized taxonomic binomial (genus + species epithet), not a compositional English phrase; the species name is a proper noun/epithet and does not convey a predictable meaning to learners. Even if a learner recognized 'Macroclemys' as a genus of turtles, 'temmincki' is an eponymic/species label and the overall meaning ('a particular turtle species') is not derivable from the constituents, so a B1 learner would not infer it from the parts.
Etymology
Macroclemys temmincki comes from old Greek words and a scientist's name: Macro means 'large' and clemys was used for 'turtle', while temmincki honors the scientist Temminck. So the name gives the idea of a very big turtle, which fits the alligator snapping turtle's huge size and heavy, prehistoric look.