araguaiaensis

Araguaiaensis is a Latinized species epithet used in scientific naming to indicate geographic origin. It is not a complete taxon on its own but the second part of a binomial name, such as Genus araguaiaensis, used to designate a species associated with the Araguaia region of Brazil.

Etymology: The term derives from Araguaia, the river and basin in central Brazil, with the suffix -ensis meaning “from” or “belonging to.” This pattern is common in zoological and botanical nomenclature and helps identify the locality connected to the species.

Scope and usage: Because it is a toponymic epithet, araguaiaensis appears across different groups of organisms described from the Araguaia region, including plants, insects, fish, reptiles, and mammals. Each species bearing the epithet is a distinct taxon within its own genus.

Geography and ecosystem: The Araguaia River basin covers parts of several states and encompasses diverse habitats, from savannas (cerrado) to tropical forest and floodplains. The epithet signals locality rather than implying a fixed habitat, and species with the name may inhabit a range of ecological settings within the region.

Discovery and conservation: The use of geographic epithets like araguaiaensis reflects field surveys and biodiversity research in central Brazil. Because many Araguaia-area species have limited ranges, some taxa bearing the epithet may be subject to conservation assessment, facing threats from habitat change, deforestation, and development in the region.