Arctocebus
|Arc-to-ce-bus|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑrk.toʊˈsiːbəs/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːk.təˈsiːbəs/
small nocturnal African loris (literally 'bear-monkey')
Etymology
'Arctocebus' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the elements 'arktos' meaning 'bear' and 'kebos' meaning 'monkey (or long-tailed monkey)'.
'Arctocebus' was coined in modern scientific Latin (zoological taxonomy) in the 19th century from those Greek roots and adopted as the genus name in taxonomic literature.
Initially formed as a compound meaning 'bear-monkey' (a descriptive coinage), it has come to be used specifically as the scientific genus name for the angwantibos.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of small, nocturnal, arboreal primates in the family Lorisidae, native to the rainforests of West and Central Africa; members of this genus are commonly called angwantibos (includes species such as Arctocebus aureus and Arctocebus calabarensis).
Arctocebus are rarely seen during the day because they are strictly nocturnal and live high in the forest canopy.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/06 15:41