whitelipped

Whitelipped is a descriptive term used in English to refer to animals that have a white or pale line along the lip or mouth area. It is most commonly encountered in the common names of species and is typically written as white-lipped with a hyphen; in some nonstandard uses or branding it may appear as whitelipped. The term does not denote a taxon by itself but rather a morphological characteristic.

Common examples include the white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), a medium-sized New World pig-like mammal found in tropical forests of Central and South America. It is named for a pale, often whitish edge around the mouth. The white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris, also known as Tropidolaemus albolabris in some classifications) is a venomous snake of Southeast Asia distinguished by a white stripe along the upper lip.

In zoological naming, “albo-” means white and “labris” means lips, yielding Latin roots that explain related scientific names such as albolabris. The descriptor is also used in regional guides and field observations for other species with pale lip markings, though such usage varies by region and spelling.

The term is primarily utilitarian, aiding quick identification based on visible markings, and remains separate from formal taxonomic classification. It can apply across mammals, reptiles, and other groups where a white lip feature is notable.