11 Naughty-Sounding Scientific Names

Look at this bird. You may recognize it as an American robin, a common bird whose appearance is a sign of spring. You might be surprised to know that this bird’s scientific name is Turdus migratorious. There’s also Bugeranus (a bird), Pinus Rigida (a tree), and Fartulum (a shellfish), among others in the list of naughty-sounding names. We know scientists sometimes try to be funny when they name species, but none of these fit into that category. There are perfectly good explanations for the 11 odd species names, and you’ll find out about each at mental_floss.

(Image credit: Kristof vt)


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