Suricata suricatta
- noun
- Specialized
- In the wild, Suricata suricatta lives in large social groups called mobs or gangs.
Examples
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The Suricata suricatta is often seen standing upright.
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The behavior of Suricata suricatta has been studied extensively by zoologists.
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A conservation program recently reintroduced Suricata suricatta to its native habitat in southern Africa.
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Many tourists are fascinated by the Suricata suricatta.
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A conservation program recently reintroduced Suricata suricatta to its native habitat in southern Africa.
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In the wild, Suricata suricatta lives in large social groups called mobs or gangs.
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The behavior of Suricata suricatta has been studied extensively by zoologists.
Synonyms
5
3.2
A small animal from southern Africa that lives in groups and stands upright to watch for danger
A small social animal from southern Africa called a meerkat that lives in burrows and stands on its hind legs
A small social animal active in daytime that lives in burrows in southern Africa
Surface Forms
Morphology
Suricata + suricatta
This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) used as a scientific name; the literal forms are taxonomic labels rather than compositional English words, and one constituent is not even attested in the dictionary. Because the name is a proper noun in scientific nomenclature and not a transparent combination of English lexical meanings, a B1 learner knowing the parts would not reliably infer 'meerkat'.
Etymology
Suricata suricatta is the two-word Latin name scientists use for the animal we call a 'meerkat'. Because the two parts Suricata and suricatta sound almost the same, the name acts like a clear label for the small, watchful mongoose that often stands on its hind legs, so it helps you remember it means the 'meerkat'.