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Lagopus

File:Ptarmigan.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Also known as ptarmigan

Lagopus is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans (). The genus contains four living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas.

OverviewAI-generated

Lagopus is a genus of birds within the family Phasianidae and order Galliformes. It belongs to the class Aves and phylum Chordata, with the subfamily Tetraoninae serving as its parent taxon. The genus was described by Brisson in 1760 and holds an accepted status in taxonomic records.

Species in this genus inhabit the Holarctic realm, specifically in alpine climate and taiga regions. Their temporal range begins in the Zanclean stage. Biological records for Lagopus are held by institutions including CM, RBINS-SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE, USNM, MZLU, and UAM. These records originate from the United States, Sweden, Canada, and Japan.

Synthesized by Vinony from 24 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Genus

  1. PhylumChordata
  2. ClassAves
  3. OrderGalliformes
  4. FamilyPhasianidae

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Museum specimens

Specimen records
1,585
With media
201
Family
Phasianidae
Collections
CM, RBINS-SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE, USNM, MZLU, UAM, ROM
Recorded in
United States, Sweden, Canada, Japan

Wikidata facts

Instance of
taxon
Parent taxon
Tetraoninae
Image
Lagopus muta2.jpg
Show 8 more facts
taxon name
Lagopus
taxon rank
genus
Commons category
Lagopus
topic's main category
Category:Lagopus
temporal range start
Zanclean
habitat
taiga
Commons gallery
Lagopus
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Encyclopedic overview

6 sections
Contents
  • Taxonomy and etymology
  • Description
  • Species
  • Fossil record
  • References
  • External links

Lagopus is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily commonly known as ptarmigans (). The genus contains four living species with numerous described subspecies, all living in tundra or cold upland areas.

==Taxonomy and etymology== The genus Lagopus was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) as the type species. The genus name Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek (), meaning "hare, rabbit", + (), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted group (such as the snowshoe hare). The specific epithets muta and leucura were for a long time misspelt mutus and leucurus, in the erroneous belief that the ending of Lagopus denotes masculine gender. However, as the Ancient Greek term is of feminine gender, and the specific epithet has to agree with that, the feminine muta and leucura are correct.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Lagopus” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (14)