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Glite Dictionary
Leptotyphlops humilis

Leptotyphlops humilis

9.9
A very small snake that lives underground in deserts and dry sandy places in the western United States
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Leptotyphlops humilis
  • The Leptotyphlops humilis spends most of its life underground, making it difficult to spot in the wild.

Examples

  • Because it is so small, the Leptotyphlops humilis can easily slip beneath rocks or into loose soil.

  • Naturalists in the southwestern United States sometimes search for Leptotyphlops humilis under desert shrubs after rain.

  • The Leptotyphlops humilis is often found in sandy habitats.

  • Have you ever seen a Leptotyphlops humilis in the wild?

  • Naturalists in the southwestern United States often look for the Leptotyphlops humilis, a small snake that burrows under desert shrubs after rainfall.

  • The Leptotyphlops humilis prefers dry environments like sandy soils and is rarely seen on the surface.

  • You might find a Leptotyphlops humilis hiding under loose sand at the beach, where it blends in with its surroundings.

Synonyms

western blind snake
vsLeptotyphlops humilis
  • US
9.7

A small, slender snake that lives underground in the western United States deserts and has very poor sight

is the specific species term and does not stress reduced eyesight

Surface Forms

Leptotyphlops humilis singular

Morphology

Leptotyphlops + humilis

The form is a Linnaean binomial combining a genus name ('Leptotyphlops' = a genus of small blind snakes) with a Latin species epithet ('humilis' = low/small/humble). A learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a (relatively small) species within that genus, but they cannot derive the specific habitat, behaviour, or geographic range from the parts alone and recognition of taxonomic naming is somewhat specialized. Because some meaning is recoverable (species identity and smallness) but detailed senses are not predictable, the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Leptotyphlops humilis comes from old Greek and Latin words: lepto means 'thin', typhlops means 'blind', and humilis means 'close to the ground'. So the name gives a picture of a very thin, almost blind snake that lives under rocks and sand — in other words a 'small, burrowing' snake.