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Glite Dictionary
Ammotragus lervia

Ammotragus lervia

9.9
A wild sheep from northern Africa, also called Barbary sheep
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Ammotragus lervia
  • The Ammotragus lervia is known for its impressive curved horns.

Examples

  • Zoologists studied the Ammotragus lervia to learn more about its adaptation to arid environments.

  • Visitors to the reserve were excited to spot an Ammotragus lervia among the cliffs.

  • The Ammotragus lervia inhabits the rocky mountains of northern Africa.

  • Have you ever seen an Ammotragus lervia in its natural habitat?

  • The Ammotragus lervia thrives in the rugged terrain of the Atlas Mountains.

  • In the wildlife sanctuary, we observed several Ammotragus lervia grazing together.

  • The conservation program aims to protect the Ammotragus lervia from habitat loss.

Synonyms

Barbary sheep
vsAmmotragus lervia
  • UK
9.1

A wild sheep from North Africa with a reddish-brown coat and curved horns that lives on rocky slopes

is the scientific name for the same species rather than the common name
aoudad
vsAmmotragus lervia
  • US
9.9

A wild sheep from North Africa with curved horns and thick shaggy fur

is the scientific name for the same species rather than the common name
audad
vsAmmotragus lervia
9.9

A wild sheep from North Africa with reddish-brown coat and curved horns

is the scientific name for the same species rather than the common name
arui
vsAmmotragus lervia
  • Archaic
9.9

A wild sheep from northern Africa with curved horns and a thick mane

names the species generally rather than stressing the mane trait
maned sheep
vsAmmotragus lervia
9.5

A wild sheep from northern Africa with long hair on its neck and chest

names the species more generally rather than highlighting the mane

Surface Forms

Ammotragus lervia singular
Ammotragus lerviae plural

Morphology

Ammotragus + lervia

This is a Latin binomial: the genus name 'Ammotragus' (= wild sheep) signals that the phrase refers to a type/species of that genus, so part of the meaning (a kind of wild sheep) is inferable. However the species epithet 'lervia' has no lexical meaning in English and biological Latin names are a technical naming convention rather than ordinary compositional phrases, so the full specific sense is not predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Ammotragus lervia may come from old words that give the picture of a 'sand goat', with ammos meaning sand and tragos meaning goat. The name fits because this goat-like wild sheep lives on dry, rocky hills, so it refers to the 'Barbary sheep' of North Africa.