Elaphurus

/ɪˈlæfərəs/ noun

Definition

A genus containing the père David's deer, an endangered species with long fangs and branching antlers, native to China.

Etymology

From Greek elaphē (deer) plus the Latin masculine singular ending -us, creating a formal genus name. Named by zoologists to formally classify this remarkable and unique deer.

Kelly Says

Père David's deer is so weird it was named by a French missionary botanist—it has long fangs, unusual antlers, and webbed feet, making it seem like nature mixed together several different animals!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.