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Nasua narica

Nasua narica

9.9
A mammal like a raccoon that has a long snout and a ringed tail
  • noun
  • Specialized
: coati
  • The Nasua narica can often be seen foraging for fruit in the forests of Costa Rica.

Examples

  • Researchers studied the social behavior of Nasua narica in its natural habitat.

  • A group of Nasua narica was spotted near the riverbank, searching for insects and eggs.

  • The Nasua narica is often seen foraging for food in the forest.

  • Have you ever spotted a Nasua narica in the wild?

  • A group of Nasua narica was spotted near the riverbank, searching for insects and eggs.

  • The Nasua narica can often be seen foraging for fruit in the forests of Costa Rica.

  • Researchers studied the social behavior of Nasua narica in its natural habitat.

Surface Forms

Nasua narica singular
Nasua naricas plural

Morphology

Nasua + narica

This is a taxonomic Latin binomial (genus + species). Because 'Nasua' is given as 'coatis', a learner who recognises that genus label can infer this refers to a particular type of coati, but the specific epithet 'narica' is not a regular English word and requires knowledge of scientific naming conventions. Therefore the meaning is partially obvious from the constituent 'Nasua' but not fully predictable for an average B1 learner without exposure to binomial nomenclature.

Etymology

Nasua narica, with Nasua and narica coming from words for 'nose' and 'nostril', may come from those words and helps you picture its long snout. So the name reminds you that this coati is the animal with a long nose and a ringed tail.