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Glite Dictionary
Perognathus flavus

Perognathus flavus

9.9
A small pale yellow mouse with soft fur that lives in dry parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Perognathus flavus
  • The fur of Perognathus flavus is soft and pale yellow, helping it blend into sandy habitats.

Examples

  • The Perognathus flavus is well adapted to arid environments in the southwestern U.S.

  • Researchers set traps to study Perognathus flavus populations in the desert.

  • The Perognathus flavus is often found in sandy habitats.

  • Have you seen a Perognathus flavus before?

  • Researchers set traps to study Perognathus flavus populations in the desert.

  • The Perognathus flavus is well adapted to arid environments in the southwestern U.S.

  • The fur of Perognathus flavus is soft and pale yellow, helping it blend into sandy habitats.

Synonyms

silky pocket mouse
vsPerognathus flavus
  • US
9.5

A small pale yellow mouse with very soft fur that lives in deserts

is the formal Latin name for the same species

Surface Forms

Perognathus flavus singular
Perognathus flavuses plural

Morphology

Perognathus + flavus

This is a taxonomic Latin binomial: the genus 'Perognathus' denotes a type of silky pocket mouse and the epithet 'flavus' means 'yellow', so together they literally describe a yellow/pale silky pocket mouse. Species epithets are typically descriptive and compositionally interpretable, so a learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Perognathus flavus may come from old Greek and Latin words: Perognathus points to the mouse's cheek 'pockets' and flavus means 'yellow'. That's why the name fits this small, pale 'silky pocket mouse'.