Charina
/kəˈraɪ.nə/noun
A genus of small, burrowing boas, including the rubber boa and rosy boa.
Did you know?The genus name is generally connected with the Greek idea of grace or pleasantness, an unexpectedly elegant label for snakes famous for hiding underground and using their tails as decoys.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gher-
“To favor, like, or be pleasing; a reconstructed root associated with later Greek words for grace and favor.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χάρις (charis)
“Grace, favor, beauty, or goodwill.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χαρίεις (charieis)
“Graceful, pleasing, or lovely; a related adjective traditionally associated with the genus name.”
19th Century
New Latin
Charina
“A zoological genus name formed in the classical taxonomic tradition.”
1851
English zoology
Charina
“A genus established for North American boas, including the rubber boa.”
Modern English
English
Charina
“The accepted genus name for the rubber and rosy boas.”