If you're going to be responsible for determining scientific classification, you may as well have fun with it. Here are some of the strangest and most amusing binomial names ( Genus species ) in all of taxonomy.
Ninjemys oweni
Ninjemys oweni was a gigantic turtle from the Pleistocene era. Originally placed in Megalania by Richard Owen, it eventually was reclassified as Ninjemys in 1992. The etymology was explained as such: "Ninj" after "Ninja, in allusion to that totally rad, fearsome foursome epitomizing shelled success" and "emys" from the Latin for turtle. Meaning the entire name roughly translates to "Owen's Ninja Turtle."
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Ytu brutus
Ytu brutus is a Brazilian water beetle. The name derives from what is popularly attributed as Julius Caesar's last words (see Shakespeare's Julius Caesar as an example): "Et tu, Brute?" Literally, this translates as "And you, Brutus?" In Spanish "Y tu" means "and you." Hence, Ytu brutus.
Vini vidivici
Better known as the Conquered Lorikeet, Vini vidivici was a South Pacific parrot that went extinct roughly 700-1300 years ago. The name derives from the phrase "veni, vidi, vici," which means "I came, I saw, I conquered."
Source: en.wikipedia.org
La cerveza
La cerveza is a type of crambid snout moth. It's also Spanish for "beer." Apparently, La is kind of a jokey genus. Other species include La cucaracha and La paloma, Spanish for cockroach and dove respectively. By the way, pictures of La moths are pretty much non-existent on the web, so this is a picture of a different genus of crambid snout moth. My deepest apologies to the crambid snout moth experts reading this post.
Source: ozanimals.com
