Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Crotalus horridus horridus

Crotalus horridus horridus

9.9
A venomous type of rattlesnake that lives in eastern United States forests and rocky areas
  • noun
  • /ˈkroʊtələs ˈhɔːrɪdəs ˈhɔːrɪdəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Crotalus horridus horridus
  • Conservationists are working to protect the habitats of Crotalus horridus horridus in the Appalachian Mountains.

Examples

  • Venom from Crotalus horridus horridus is being researched for potential medical uses.

  • The Crotalus horridus horridus is seldom seen except by experienced hikers in remote forests.

  • The Crotalus horridus horridus is often found in rocky terrains.

  • Have you ever seen a Crotalus horridus horridus in the wild?

  • Conservationists are working to protect the habitats of Crotalus horridus horridus in the Appalachian Mountains.

  • The Crotalus horridus horridus is seldom seen except by experienced hikers in remote forests.

  • The Crotalus horridus horridus is often found in rocky terrains.

Synonyms

timber rattlesnake
vsCrotalus horridus horridus
  • US
1 8.1

A large poisonous snake with a rattling tail that lives in eastern United States forests

is a specific subspecies limited to rugged areas rather than the entire species
banded rattlesnake
vsCrotalus horridus horridus
  • US
8.6

A venomous rattlesnake with dark bands that lives in eastern United States woods

is a named subspecies rather than the broader species name
canebrake rattler
vsCrotalus horridus horridus
  • US
9.9

A large venomous rattlesnake like a timber rattlesnake that lives in southeastern United States forests and cane fields

is a different subspecies that lives in rugged eastern habitats rather than the southeast
canebrake rattlesnake
vsCrotalus horridus horridus
  • US
9.7

A large venomous snake with a rattle that lives in wooded areas of the southeastern United States

is a subspecies found in rugged eastern areas rather than wooded lowlands

Surface Forms

Crotalus horridus horridus singular
Crotalus horridus horridus plural

Morphology

Crotalus + horridus + horridus

This is a Latin scientific trinomial rather than an ordinary English phrase; even if a learner knows 'Crotalus' as a rattlesnake genus, the repeated Latin epithet 'horridus' and taxonomic conventions (species/subspecies naming) are not predictable from the parts and are not accessible to a B1 learner. The specific meaning 'a subspecies of timber rattlesnake native to rugged areas' therefore cannot be derived from the constituent words without specialist knowledge, making it opaque.

Etymology

Crotalus horridus horridus takes its name from old words: Crotalus (meaning 'rattle') and horridus (meaning 'rough' or 'bristly'). It was given to this timber rattlesnake because it has a noisy rattle on its tail and rough-looking scales, so the name points to the snake found in the eastern United States.