Cynopterus sphinx
- noun
- Specialized
:
Cynopterus sphinx
- Unlike some other bats, Cynopterus sphinx feeds mainly on ripe fruit and nectar.
Examples
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The Cynopterus sphinx plays an important role in seed dispersal in Asian forests.
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Researchers set up nets to observe the behavior of Cynopterus sphinx at dusk.
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The Cynopterus sphinx is known for its large size.
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Have you ever seen a Cynopterus sphinx in the wild?
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The Cynopterus sphinx is often seen flying among the trees in search of ripe fruit.
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Conservation efforts are in place to protect the habitat of the Cynopterus sphinx in Southeast Asia.
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The diet of the Cynopterus sphinx primarily consists of various fruits and nectar from flowers.
Synonyms
5
3.7
A large flying animal that lives in warm places and eats mostly fruit at night
1
8.1
A large bat that eats fruit and lives in warm areas
A group of short-nosed fruit bats found in South and Southeast Asia
Surface Forms
Morphology
Cynopterus + sphinx
The binomial 'Cynopterus sphinx' is partially compositional: if a learner knows 'Cynopterus' as a genus of short-nosed fruit bats they can infer the phrase refers to a species of that genus (i.e. a bat). However, the species epithet 'sphinx' and the specific common-name details are not derivable from the literal words and understanding requires taxonomic convention or domain knowledge, so the relation is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Cynopterus sphinx may come from old Greek words in Cynopterus meaning 'dog' and 'wing', and from sphinx because the bat's short nose and round face looked a little like a small dog or a mysterious statue. So the name points to this short-nosed, fruit-eating bat today.