ondatra zibethica
Definition
- Noun:
- A beaver-like aquatic rodent of North America with dark glossy brown fur: Ondatra zibethica is the scientific name for the muskrat, a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America. It is known for its adaptations to wetland habitats, including webbed hind feet and a laterally flattened tail.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The wetland ecosystem supports a population of Ondatra zibethica.
- Researchers studied the burrowing behavior of Ondatra zibethica along the riverbank.
Advanced Usage
- In scientific and technical contexts: The term is primarily used in biological, ecological, and zoological writing to refer to the species with precision, distinguishing it from common names or other rodents.
- The study focused on the population genetics of Ondatra zibethica across its range.
Variants and Related Words
- Muskrat (n): The common name for .
- Trappers often seek muskrats for their fur.
- Ondatra (n): The genus name, which sometimes appears alone in technical contexts to refer to the muskrat genus.
- The genus Ondatra is monotypic, containing only the species zibethica.
Synonyms
- Muskrat: The standard common name.
- Musquash: An alternative, less common name for the muskrat, derived from an Algonquian language.
Related Terms (Scientific Context)
- Rodent (n): A mammal of the order Rodentia, characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws.
- Semiquatic (adj): Living partly on land and partly in water.
- Ondatrini (n): The tribe within the subfamily Arvicolinae that includes the muskrat.
Noun
-
beaver-like aquatic rodent of North America with dark glossy brown fur
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