Sciurus vulgaris

7.9

A small tree squirrel with reddish-brown fur and a bushy tail found in Europe and Asia

noun

Specialized

: Sciurus vulgaris

The Sciurus vulgaris is easily recognized by its bushy tail and tufted ears.

Examples

Unlike the grey squirrel, the Sciurus vulgaris prefers coniferous forests.
In many parks, you can spot a Sciurus vulgaris climbing trees.
Researchers studied the habitat preferences of Sciurus vulgaris in Norway.
The Sciurus vulgaris is known for its bushy tail.
Researchers studied the habitat preferences of Sciurus vulgaris in Norway.
The Sciurus vulgaris is easily recognized by its bushy tail and tufted ears.
In many parks, you can spot a Sciurus vulgaris climbing trees.

Synonyms

red squirrel

vsSciurus vulgaris

2 3.1

A small animal that lives in trees with reddish fur and a bushy tail

is the scientific name for the species found in Europe and parts of Asia

cat squirrel

vsSciurus vulgaris

8.5

A small reddish-brown tree squirrel from Europe and Asia with small fur tufts on its ears

is the scientific name for the same species rather than a common name

Surface Forms

Sciurus vulgaris singular

Sciurus vulgaris plural

Morphology

Sciurus + vulgaris

The name combines a genus label ('Sciurus' = squirrels) with a Latin epithet ('vulgaris' = widespread/typical), so a learner who knows both parts can infer it denotes a common/widespread squirrel; scientific Latin binomials are compositionally regular across languages. However, identifying the exact species identity and common name (the Eurasian red squirrel) requires knowledge of taxonomic conventions or specific mapping, so the meaning is only partly predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Sciurus vulgaris may come from old Greek and Latin words. Sciurus comes from words for 'shadow' and 'tail', which refers to the squirrel's big bushy tail, and vulgaris means 'common', so the name describes the common bushy-tailed squirrel.