Canis

Canis is a genus of canids containing seven to 10 extant species. Species of this genus are distinguished by their moderate to large size, their massive, well developed skulls and dentition, long legs, and comparatively short ears and tails.

Etymology

The generic name Canis means "dog" in Latin. The term "canine" comes from the adjective form, caninus ("of the dog"), from which the term canine tooth is also derived. The canine family has prominent canine teeth, used for killing their prey. The word canis is cognate to the Greek word kūon (Greek: Κύων) which means "dog".

Taxonomy

In 1758, the taxonomist Linaeus published in Systema Naturae a categorization of species which included the species forming the Canis genus. The list included the dog-like carnivores: the domestic dog, wolves, foxes and jackals.

Wolves, dogs and dingos

Wolves, dogs, and dingoes are subspecies of Canis lupus. The original referent of the English word wolf, the Eurasian wolf, is called C. l. lupus to distinguish it from other wolf subspecies, such as the Indian wolf (C. l. pallipes), the Arabian wolf (C. l. arabs), or the Tibetan wolf (C. l. chanco).

Canis (disambiguation)

Canis is a genus including dogs, wolves and jackals

Canis may also refer to:

People

Astronomy

Places

Other

See also