Some animals have ridiculously long names, and if you’re suffering from hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (the chronic fear of long names), we suggest you don’t read ahead.
In today’s article, we’re tackling animals with long names.
- Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides
- Cyrtodactylus australotitiwangsaensis
- Griseotyrannus aurantioatrocristatus
- Eumicrotremus andriashevi aculeatus
- Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
- Chaetophractus vellerosus
- Eucrossorhinus dasypogon
- Wunderpus photogenicus
Topics
1. Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides
Non-scientific name: Southeast Asian Soldier Fly
With 42 letters in its name, this is the animal with the longest name, barring Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis, which we didn’t include because it’s a bacteria, not an animal.
Discovered and first described in 1923, this tiny fly is only about a centimeter long (0.4 inches). The entomologist who discovered it, Enrico Brunetti, is also the one who named it, and it’s likely he did it on purpose.
There was an entire wave of naturalists in the 20th century competitively giving incredibly long names to various species, and Brunetti is just one of them.
2. Cyrtodactylus australotitiwangsaensis
Non-scientific name: Southern Titiwangsa Bent-toed Gecko
This species of bent-toed gecko has 36 letters in its name, making it the reptile with the longest name. It is endemic to peninsular Malaysia, living in the southern parts of the Titiwangsa Mountains.
They’re about five inches long, without including the tail, which is often just as long as the body. Their skin is crossed with dark bands, combining dark and bright colors.
Southern Titiwangsa bent-toed gecko is one of the youngest species on the list, as it was only formally recognized in 2016.
3. Griseotyrannus aurantioatrocristatus
Non-scientific name: Crowned Slaty Flycatcher
Literally translated, this species’ 35-letter-long name means ‘orange-black crested gray Tyrannus’, with Tyrannus referring to the family. This medium-sized bird, a native to south-eastern Amazonia, is the bird with the longest name.
Mostly feeding on flies, as the name suggests, it’s often migrating around the Amazon and it’s very easy to spot. There have been more than 10,000 sightings in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia, suggesting that the bird is very common.
4. Eumicrotremus andriashevi aculeatus
Non-scientific name: Andriashev’s Spicular-spiny Pimpled Lumpsucker
These lumpfish are only found in the Arctic and the North Pacific, with a few sightings in the Bering Seas. They’re actually a subspecies of the pimple lumpsucker, and take the crown as the fish with the longest name.
We can only find them at extreme depths (by human standards) of more than 60 feet, up to 270 feet. The tiny species usually doesn’t reach 2 inches in length, and it differs from its cousins by a taller body and a shorter snout.
5. Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
Non-scientific name: Hellbender
This salamander species is not only the amphibian with the longest name, but it also has the coolest non-scientific name out of all the animals on the list.
It’s the largest salamander in North America, endemic to the eastern and central United States.
They can grow to be 2 feet long, weighing up to 5.5 pounds. Regarding its name, research suggests that the name has something to do with their looks – settlers believed that they were creatures from hell.
The hellbender is sometimes also called devil dog or mud devil.
6. Chaetophractus vellerosus
Non-scientific name: Screaming Hairy Armadillo
Believe it or not, this animal’s non-scientific name is crazier than its 24-letter-long scientific name.
Sometimes called the small screaming armadillo or the crying armadillo, this animal was named after the squealing noises it makes when handled.
Out of all the weird animals with long names, this name has to be the weirdest. We can only find this animal in parts of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, where it’s usually burrowing and only comes out at night.
This species is the mammal with the longest name.
7. Eucrossorhinus dasypogon
Non-scientific name: Tasselled Wobbegong
This species of carpet shark is a master of disguise! With a very complex coloring on their backs and a characteristic body shape, they can easily blend in with the ocean floor – hence the name ‘carpet shark’.
These animals with long names that live in Australia are often found on the North Coast, where they’re a well-preserved species.
The wobbegong is known to be aggressive towards people, mainly because they’re almost invisible and people will step on them when walking in the ocean.
8. Wunderpus photogenicus
Non-scientific name: Wunderpus Octopus
This small octopus is a close relative to the mimic octopus and it’s the final entry on our list. Only officially recognized in 2006, its name derives from German, with ‘wunder’ meaning ‘wonder’.
They’re called that because their body color pattern changes with age, but they can also change them on their own when they’re threatened.
This allows them to blend in with the environment, or even mimic a venomous species to frighten their would-be assailant away.
Out of all the ocean animals with long names, this octopus has to be the most beautiful one.