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Glite Dictionary
Salamandridae

Salamandridae

9.9
A family of amphibians like newts and salamanders with long moist bodies
  • noun
  • /ˌsæl.əˈmæn.drɪ.deɪ/
  • Specialized
: Salamandridae
  • The family of amphibians known as Salamandridae includes various species of true salamanders.

Examples

  • Many species within the family Salamandridae can be found in wetland habitats.

  • The scientists studied the mating behavior of Salamandridae in their natural environment.

  • They may be tailed amphibians, but they're not formally part of the urodelous genus salamandridae.

    Global Heresy (2002)

Surface Forms

Salamandridae singular
Salamandridaes plural

Morphology

Salamandridae = salamander (opaque) = salamandr + idae

The word is a Latinized taxonomic name formed with the technical suffix '-idae' (meaning 'a family of'), which is specialized knowledge and not obvious to most learners.

Etymology

Salamandridae comes from salamander plus the scientific ending -idae, which means 'family', so it names the family of salamanders and newts. The older word salamander was linked in old stories to 'fire' because people sometimes found these wet, lizard-like animals in burning logs, so a helpful way to remember Salamandridae is to picture salamanders and the old 'fire' story even though they really live in moist places.