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Glite Dictionary
Neotoma fuscipes

Neotoma fuscipes

9.9
A small animal like a mouse from western North America that builds large dens from sticks and leaves
  • noun
  • /niˈoʊtəˌmə fʌsˈsaɪpɛs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Neotoma fuscipes
  • The Neotoma fuscipes builds large, complex dens from sticks and leaves.

Examples

  • Researchers studied the nesting habits of the Neotoma fuscipes in mixed oak woodlands.

  • Have you ever seen a Neotoma fuscipes in the wild?

  • In northern California, the Neotoma fuscipes serves as a host to the Lyme disease tick.

  • The Neotoma fuscipes is known for its distinctive coloration.

  • Researchers studied the nesting habits of the Neotoma fuscipes in mixed oak woodlands.

  • The Neotoma fuscipes builds large, complex dens from sticks and leaves.

  • In northern California, the Neotoma fuscipes serves as a host to the Lyme disease tick.

Synonyms

dusky-footed wood rat
vsNeotoma fuscipes
  • US
9.9

A North American wood rat with dark feet that builds large stick nests

is the common-name form used more often in everyday writing

Surface Forms

Neotoma fuscipes singular
Neotoma fuscipes plural

Morphology

Neotoma + fuscipes

This is a Latin binomial (scientific) name whose meaning as the dusky-footed woodrat depends on knowledge of Latin/biological morphology rather than ordinary English vocabulary; one constituent ('fuscipes') is not an English word in the learner's lexicon. Although the Latin roots (fusc- 'dusky', -pes 'foot') could point to the species epithet, that morphological knowledge is not expected of a B1 learner, so the name's meaning is not reliably derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Neotoma fuscipes is a scientific name that gives a simple picture: Neotoma is the woodrat group and fuscipes comes from Latin words meaning 'dark' and 'foot'. That's why the name refers to the 'dusky-footed woodrat'.