Flag-Bearers: Wildlife toting Bengal in names
Species that comes with Bengali, Bengala, Bengalia or epithets like bengalensis, bengalus or bangladeshensis are usually given in relation to the region of Bengal
Species that comes with Bengali, Bengala, Bengalia or epithets like bengalensis, bengalus or bangladeshensis are usually given in relation to the region of Bengal. In Bangladesh, around 50 organisms have received or once received this interesting title from the researchers who studied and discovered them.
Nearly all of them live within Bangladesh’s sovereign territory.
A cat, a rat, a fox, and a primate
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Beginning from the most advanced animal groups, four mammals have bengal attached to their name: the Bengal fox Vulpes bengalensis, lesser bandicoot rat Bandicota bengalensis, leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis and the Bengal slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis.
The birds of Bengal
In terms of number, birds are at the top of the list when it comes to names with Bengal. Around nine bird species of Bangladesh bear the region’s name. These include lesser coucal Centropus bengalensis, lesser-crested tern Thalasseus bengalensis, white-rumped vulture Gyps bengalensis and the Indian grass-babbler Graminicola bengalensis.
The others have titles with a slight customisation. These includes Indian roller Coracius benghalensis, black-rumped flameback Dinopium benghalense, black-breasted weaver Ploceus benghalensis, and greater painted snipe Rostratula benghalensis.
The Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis that roams in the grasslands of India and Nepal used to live in Bangladesh long ago.
The Bengal Monitor
Varanus bengalensis is common everywhere, from urban greenery to village groves and forested areas as well.
Pisces Bengalensis
About three marine fish with such naming convention thrive in the Bay of Bengal. The mottled eel Anguilla bengalensis, the Bengal sergeant-major Abudefduf bengalensis, the Bengal snapper Lutjanus bengalensis are three fish species embossed with the legend bengalensis.
Of freshwater counterparts, the Bengal barb did once had the genus Bengala, but now it has been assigned to other taxa Megarasbora. Though it has been changed, a genus named after Bengal still makes a count!
The diminutives
Many invertebrates hold high the title of Bengal. A minute mangrove fiddler crab, the Bengal fiddler crab Uca bengali, a parasitic relative of shrimps, the Bengal lernaea Lernanea bengalensis own a similar surname, and the Bengal argulus Argulus bengalensis fall under this category. The Bengali geolina Polymesoda bengalensis is a common mussel from the Bay of Bengal. There are two worms in Bangladesh that fall under the same discussion: Chloeia bengalensis and Platenereis bengalensis.
Bengal, as we see, is fused with life, awaiting discoveries and comprehension; more of which can be termed with these prestigious names that glorify the region.
