Procyon lotor
- noun
- /ˈproʊsiˌɒn ˈloʊtər/
- Specialized
:
Procyon lotor
- The scientific name for the raccoon is Procyon lotor.
Examples
-
The Procyon lotor is often seen rummaging through trash cans.
-
A Procyon lotor can be recognized by its distinctive facial markings.
-
Many wildlife guides refer to the North American raccoon as Procyon lotor.
-
Researchers observed several Procyon lotor foraging near the riverbank.
-
Many wildlife guides refer to the North American raccoon as Procyon lotor.
-
Researchers observed several Procyon lotor foraging near the riverbank.
-
A Procyon lotor can be recognized by its distinctive facial markings.
Synonyms
77
1.1
A small animal active at night with a black face mask that eats plants and animals
1
1.4
A small wild animal with a black face mask and clever front paws that is active at night
A medium-sized North American animal with a black face mask, ringed tail, and clever front paws
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a Linnaean binomial formed compositionally from a genus name ('Procyon') and a species epithet ('lotor'); if a learner knows the constituent meanings (genus containing raccoon species; specific epithet for raccoon) they can deduce it denotes the scientific name for the raccoon. Because it is a literal, non‑idiomatic combination following taxonomic conventions rather than an unpredictable idiom, it is transparent to learners who understand the parts.
Etymology
Procyon lotor comes from old Greek and Latin words that describe the raccoon: Procyon refers to a dog-like face and lotor means 'washer'. Raccoons often dip food in water and seem to 'wash' it, so the name fits the animal.