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Peripatoides Taitonga
''Peripatoides'' is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae. Velvet worms in this genus are found throughout New Zealand. Like all velvet worms, these animals are nocturnal predators that spit a sticky slime to trap their prey. Unlike the species in the only other genus of velvet worms found in New Zealand, ''Ooperipatellus'', which lay eggs (that is, are oviparous), the species in the genus ''Peripatoides'' are live-bearing (ovoviviparous). Description The number of legs in this genus varies among species but is generally stable within species. Most species have 15 pairs of legs, but one species (''Peripatoides suteri'') has 16 leg pairs instead. Velvet worms in this genus range from 5 mm to 120 mm in length. Velvet worms in this genus exhibit two traits that are especially unusual in the family Peripatopsidae. First, velvet worms in this genus lack crural glands and crural papillae, which are present in most peripatopsid genera. Second, the anal glands ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. ''Panthera leo'' (lion) and ''Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomy (biology), taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants of an ancestral taxon are grouped together (i.e. Phylogeneti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
