I have not fully recovered from the discovery that the proper Latin name of the western lowland gorilla is 'Gorilla gorilla gorilla'. Here are 10 more, inspired by 'The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names' by John Wright, published this month by Bloomsbury.
1. Agra katewinsletae A carabid beetle.
2. Chaeropus ecaudatus Australian bandicoot. The name means pig-footed creature without a tail, but it has one. The specimen on which the name was based probably lost its tail to a predator.
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