Belomys

noun

Bel·​o·​mys
ˈbe-lə-ˌmis
: a genus of Asian flying squirrels

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from Greek bélos "missile, arrow, dart" + New Latin -o- -o- -mys -mys

Note: Named by the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas (1858-1929) in "The Genera and Subgenera of the Sciuropterus Group, with Descriptions of Three New Species," Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 8th series, vol. 1, no. 1 (January 1908), pp. 1-8. No explanation for the choice of name is given.

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Cite this Entry

“Belomys.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Belomys. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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