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Glite Dictionary
Thamnophis sirtalis

Thamnophis sirtalis

8.7
A common garter snake with stripes that lives near ponds and streams
  • noun
  • /ˈθæmnəfɪs ˈsɜːrtəlɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Thamnophis sirtalis
  • Many people recognize Thamnophis sirtalis by the bold stripes running along its body.

Examples

  • The Thamnophis sirtalis is often seen near ponds and streams in suburban areas.

  • Researchers observed that Thamnophis sirtalis adapts well to both wild and urban environments.

  • The Thamnophis sirtalis is often found near water sources.

  • Have you seen a Thamnophis sirtalis in your backyard?

  • Many people recognize Thamnophis sirtalis by the bold stripes running along its body.

  • Researchers observed that Thamnophis sirtalis adapts well to both wild and urban environments.

  • The Thamnophis sirtalis is often seen near ponds and streams in suburban areas.

Synonyms

common garter snake
vsThamnophis sirtalis
  • US
1 3.5

A harmless North American snake that has stripes and often lives in gardens

has identical meaning but is the scientific Latin name

Surface Forms

Thamnophis sirtalis singular
Thamnophis sirtalises plural

Morphology

Thamnophis + sirtalis

The first constituent 'Thamnophis' identifies a snake genus, so a learner who knows that could infer this is a species name for a snake. However the second element 'sirtalis' is a Latin species epithet (not transparently meaningful to a B1 learner) and the specific sense 'common garter snake' or its properties cannot be derived from the parts alone, so the overall term is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Thamnophis sirtalis may come from words meaning 'bush snake' for Thamnophis and 'garter' for sirtalis. The snake's long, bright stripes look like a ribbon or a 'garter', so the name points to this striped species and helps you remember it.