The grey catbird - an oxymoron?

A grey catbird; notice the chestnut coloured undertail feathers.

The grey catbird's name comes from its singular call which, to some, sounds like the meow of a cat.  You can go to this website and click on the songs and calls button to hear it for yourself, but I can't totally agree with the comparison.  However, the joining of two non-related species' names together tends to be a somewhat common practice.  Consider these combinations:  Dogfish, Lionfish, Whaleshark, Grasshopper mouse, Tigershark, Birddog, Batfish, Cowbird, and even the familiar Horsefly.  They are all oxymorons, of a sort, as they combine two common organism names into one moniker.

Some of these seem outrageous.  For example, the grasshopper mouse suggests a small rodent with kangaroo-like legs.  It projects an image of a muscle-bound hurdler which could jump to safety simply with an extension of its hind limbs.  It is, in fact, a small mouse found in Alberta which has a predilection for insects; many of them happen to be grasshoppers.  In fact, much of its diet, over 90%, is carnivorous in nature.  The name, in theory, should give some description of the habits or appearance of its host.

Consider, for a moment, some other possibilities.  What would a woodpecker shark look like or how might it behave?  How about an iguana ant or maybe even something as strange as a penguin worm.  Indeed, you can come up with any combination that you like, and then to really get things going, describe its behaviours and/or appearance based upon the cojoined title.

Let's examine the behaviours of the world famous Snapperclam.  The term snapper relates to a marine fish found on the continental shelves throughout the world.  However, the term refers, in this case, more to the snapping action of the clam when disturbed.  Equipped with tremendously strong abductor muscles that would make scallops blush, the snapperclam lies quietly in tidepools worldwide, with its shell open awaiting incoming prey.  Most clams are filter feeders, but not the snapper, which has developed a vicious feeding behaviour unique to its order.  Unfortunately, beachgoers without protective footwear (preferably steel toed boots) run the risk of having their toes amputated.  Large snapperclams have been seen detaching the entire foot off of dogs which were harmlessly at play.

Here is a real one:  The mantis shrimp.

This, of course, is all fiction.  However; it is easy enough to get carried away with similar animal names.  Consider the sawfish, carpenter ant, and hammerhead shark for example ...

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