Cerastes cornutus
- noun
- Specialized
:
Cerastes cornutus
- Venom from the Cerastes cornutus is considered dangerous and can be fatal to humans.
Examples
-
The Cerastes cornutus is known for its distinctive horns.
-
The Cerastes cornutus is adapted to desert environments, making it difficult to spot in the sand.
-
Researchers observed a Cerastes cornutus moving silently across the dunes at dusk.
-
Have you ever seen a Cerastes cornutus in the wild?
-
The Cerastes cornutus, with its striking horns, is a master of camouflage in the arid landscape.
-
Local guides warn hikers about the Cerastes cornutus, as its venom can cause severe reactions.
-
In the evening, the Cerastes cornutus can be seen basking on warm desert rocks.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A poisonous snake from northern Africa and southwest Asia with a horn above each eye
A highly venomous viper from northern Africa and southwestern Asia with a small horn above each eye
A very poisonous snake with a small horn above each eye from northern Africa and southwestern Asia
A desert snake with a horn above each eye that has dangerous venom
Surface Forms
Morphology
cerastes + cornutus
This is a Latin binomial rather than a standard English phrase: if a learner knew the constituents (cerastes = a viper; cornutus = 'horned') they could transparently infer 'horned cerastes' (a horned viper). However, 'cornutus' is not an English lexical item (and is not defined here), and scientific names/proper nouns do not follow ordinary English compositional patterns, so the transparency is only partial for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Cerastes cornutus comes from old words for 'horn' and 'horned' because this desert snake has a hard, horn-like scale above each eye. So the name points to its small 'horns' and helps you remember the animal.