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Glite Dictionary
Bufo speciosus

Bufo speciosus

9.9
A toad that burrows and is active at night in southwestern US prairies
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Bufo speciosus
  • The Bufo speciosus emerges at night to hunt insects after heavy rains.

Examples

  • At dusk, the Bufo speciosus emerges from its burrow to forage for food.

  • Bufo speciosus prefers sandy soils for burrowing to avoid daytime heat.

  • Researchers tracked the movement patterns of Bufo speciosus in Texas prairies.

  • The Bufo speciosus is known for its distinctive coloration.

  • Have you ever seen a Bufo speciosus in the wild?

  • Bufo speciosus uses its burrowing skills to escape the hot sun during the day.

  • In the mesquite woodlands, the Bufo speciosus can be found hiding among the sand.

Synonyms

Texas toad
vsBufo speciosus
  • US
7.9

A toad that lives in dry woods and open land in the US southwest and comes out at night

is the formal Latin scientific name for the same species

Surface Forms

Bufo speciosus singular
Bufo speciosi plural

Morphology

Bufo + speciosus

The genus name 'Bufo' directly signals a toad, so a learner who knows that constituent would recognize this as the name of a toad species. However, the species epithet 'speciosus' is not a common English word (and its specific ecological senses — nocturnal, burrowing, southwestern distribution — are not inferable), and binomial Latin names generally function as arbitrary labels, so the full meaning is not fully derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Bufo speciosus comes from two Latin words: Bufo meaning 'toad' and speciosus meaning 'showy' or 'beautiful'. The name points to the toad's noticeable colors and patterns, so it literally means a 'showy toad' and fits this toad that is active at night and lives in burrows.