This bird is an extant species of parrot that lived in the Polynesian Islands around 700-1300 years ago. In 1987, David Steadman and Marie Zarriello described the species through archeological remains.
The scientific name is clever wordplay, alluding to the popular Latin phrase " Veni, vidi, vici." The authors saw the opportunity in the similarity between the genus name ”Vini” and the word “Veni.” Vini is a Tahitian name for a local bird.
The common name of the Vini vidivici is conquered lorikeet. It is not a funny name but a reminder of how unfortunate species extinction is.
A species of the round fungus beetle is scientifically identified as colon rectum Hatch 1933. It is unclear why the poor thing was given this name, but it is funny.
The scientist responsible, Melville H. Hatch, also assigned colon-inspired names to a bunch of round fungus beetles from the Leiodidae family.
The next funniest animal name came from a superstar. In 2014, Scott Shaw and Eduardo Shimbori, entomologists from the University of Wyoming, had the opportunity to name several newly identified species of insects. They had fun naming them after celebrities.
They named a parasitoid wasp Aleiodes shakirae. The wasp infects caterpillars and causes their abdomen to twist and bend as it feeds. It reminded Shaw and Shimbori of belly dancing, for which Shakira is famous. Many other members of the genus Aleiodes have celebrity-inspired names, too.
Although killing caterpillars from the inside may sound terrible, Shakira wasps play an important role in keeping the population of plant-feeding caterpillars under
The chicken turtle is native to the Southeast United States. It is a semi-aquatic animal that feeds on plants, aquatic insects, tadpoles, and fish. Because of its long striped neck, the chicken turtle is sometimes called the American snake neck.
In many cultures, turtle soup is a delicacy, and chicken turtle soup is particularly tasty. It gets its name because it tastes like chicken. Chicken turtles were a popular meat source in America in the 1800s.
Sarcastic fringeheads grow to a maximum of 12 inches but are larger than all other fringeheads. This fish is very aggressive and territorial.
The sarcastic fringehead may get the first part of its name from its amusing fighting style. The sarcastic fringehead will engage in a mouth-off. It will open its alien-like mouth and show its colorful interior and size to its competitor. Two male sarcastic fringeheads might even smack mouths.
Another explanation comes from the Greek word sarkasmós, which means to tear or bite and translates to ‘sarcastic’ in English. The scientist who named it was likely referring to fish’s needle-sharp teeth.
The next funniest animal name is, without a doubt, spot on! The fried egg jellyfish looks like a brilliantly cooked sunny-side up floating in the sea. Its tentacles form a colorful bowl-like shape.
The fried egg jellyfish is one of the few that are not harmful to humans. It feeds on zooplankton and other types of jellyfish. This type of jellyfish is also called egg yolk jellyfish since it looks more like an unbeaten raw egg floating in water than a fried egg.
The screaming hairy armadillo is a burrowing animal endemic to Central and South America. The locals hunt it for its meat and shell. This armadillo species has long, thick, bristly hairs all over its body, even on its shell. It is hairier than most other armadillo species. So we immediately know where the second word of its name comes from.
However, the “screaming” in its name comes from the loud distress cries it produces when caught by predators (humans included). Funny thing: the screaming hairy armadillo is a predator of insects and small animals.
The pink fairy armadillo is arguably the cutest in the world. It has a pink dorsal carapace and silky white fur on the rest of its body except its feet and tail. The smallest armadillo species measures just about 13cm and is endemic to the neotropical region of central Argentina.
The pink fairy armadillo's name is not the only unique feature; it also has a double skin1, which is unusual for mammals.
The ice cream cone or trumpet worm is a marine animal stuck to the ocean floor. The odd-looking worm constructs a tube to live in by gluing together sand and shell fragments.
The tube expands as the worm grows and eventually looks like an ice cream cone, hence its name. The weird ice cream cones are about 3 inches long and open on both sides.
Another name for the ice cream cone worm is trumpet worm because of its tube shape.
Naming animals after the sounds they make is sure to produce some silly names. For example, a small antelope from Eastern and Southern Africa derives its common name from the “zik-zik” alarm call they make when threatened.
Dik-diks are shy, elusive creatures. They mate for life and live in small family groups. Poaching for hide and bones and agricultural encroachment threaten dik-dik populations.
