What South American species was named after a character from European folklore?
Zoochat Wildlife Quiz
- Thread starter German Zoo World
- Start date
I presume that you are not meaning the Basilisk.
No not basilisk.
Just to confirm, it's the animal's specific name that is a character in European folklaw.
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Hmm, I presume Midas (Tamarin) is myth rather than folklore...
Some may disagree but, personally, I don't consider characters in Greek mythology, such as King Midas, as folklore.
Consequently red-handed tamarin Saguinus midas is not the answer I was looking for.
Shock-headed Capuchin, linked to Shock-headed Peter; again I don’t really think this is folklore?
Vampire bat?
Sorry, not the answer I was looking for.
Repeating my earlier comment, the animal's specific name is a character in European folklore.
Again, sorry, not the answer I was expecting.
Spectral vampire (Vampyrum spectrum)?
When I visited Frankfurt in 1985, I went to a museum devoted to Shock-headed Peter. I wonder if anyone can guess another place I visited on the same day.
No not any species of bat.
Sirens?
No not sirens.
It's not a general term like "sirens". It's the name of a particular character in folklore which used as the specific name of a South American creature.
Are we looking for the specific part of a scientific name, or of a common name (or both)? And, as we seem to be struggling a lot here, any chance of a clue towards taxonomic group? I feel like I’m ready to make a pact with Mephistopheles here!
As I've said previously; the folklore character is the specific name.
You are correct with Mephistopheles, the answer is:
northern pudu Pudu mephistopheles
Mephistopheles being a demon from German folklore.
Over to you.
Which species was discovered on the site of Brasilia Zoo?
I am looking for a vertebrate whose type locality is the site which is now Brasilia Zoo.
An ectothermic vertebrate....
Species named in 1959...
Not a tetrapod.....