Skip to main content
Ursus middendorffi

Ursus middendorffi

9.9
A very large brown bear that lives on coasts of Alaska and British Columbia
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Ursus middendorffi
  • The Ursus middendorffi is known for its impressive size and strength.

Examples

  • Scientists studied Ursus middendorffi populations to understand bear conservation.

  • Many tourists visit Alaska to see the Ursus middendorffi in its natural habitat.

  • Coastal forests provide an ideal habitat for Ursus middendorffi in Alaska.

  • The Ursus middendorffi is one of the largest bear species.

  • Coastal forests provide an ideal habitat for Ursus middendorffi in Alaska.

  • Many tourists visit Alaska to see the Ursus middendorffi in its natural habitat.

  • The Ursus middendorffi is known for its impressive size and strength.

Synonyms

Kodiak bear
vsUrsus middendorffi
  • US
1 5.5

A very large brown bear that lives on Kodiak Island and nearby coasts

is the same subspecies described simply as large without extra size emphasis
Ursus arctos middendorffi
vsUrsus middendorffi
  • Specialized
9.9

A very large brown bear that lives on Kodiak Island and nearby coasts of Alaska and British Columbia

is the more common scientific label without the extra species-level word
Kodiak
vsUrsus middendorffi
  • US
7.7

A very large brown bear that lives near the sea in Alaska, especially on Kodiak Island

is the broader scientific label for the coastal population rather than island focus
Alaskan brown bear
vsUrsus middendorffi
  • US
3.2

A very large brown bear that lives on the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia

is the specific scientific name for one island population rather than the broad group

Surface Forms

Morphology

Ursus + middendorffi

This is a Latin binomial: 'Ursus' denotes the bear genus, so a learner who knows that will reliably infer the phrase refers to a kind of bear. The specific epithet 'middendorffi' is an eponym with no descriptive meaning for learners, so the expression signals a species-of-bear (partial compositionality) but not the precise common name or properties, making it only partly transparent.

Etymology

Ursus middendorffi may come from Latin and a person's name. Ursus means 'bear' and middendorffi honors a naturalist named Middendorff, so the full name literally means 'Middendorff's bear' and is used for the large Kodiak bear.