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Glite Dictionary
Uta stansburiana

Uta stansburiana

9.9
A small common lizard from dry western United States with a dark mark on its side
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Uta stansburiana
  • The Uta stansburiana is often spotted basking on rocks throughout the deserts of California.

Examples

  • Predators of Uta stansburiana include snakes, birds, and larger lizards.

  • Researchers studied the adaptability of Uta stansburiana to extreme environmental conditions.

  • The Uta stansburiana is often seen basking on rocks.

  • Many Uta stansburiana can be found in the deserts of California.

  • The Uta stansburiana is a common sight in the arid landscapes of the western United States.

  • During the summer, the Uta stansburiana can often be found sunning itself on warm rocks.

  • The Uta stansburiana, known for its distinctive coloration, thrives in rocky desert habitats.

Synonyms

side-blotched lizard
vsUta stansburiana
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A small spotted lizard with a dark spot on each side behind the front legs

is the formal scientific name used in taxonomy and species lists

Surface Forms

Uta stansburiana singular
Uta stansburianas plural

Morphology

Uta + stansburiana

This is a Linnaean binomial: 'Uta' names the lizard genus (so a learner who knows 'Uta' can infer it refers to a kind of lizard), but 'stansburiana' is an opaque species epithet with no independent lexical meaning in English. Because the combination signals a specific species (partially predictable) but the precise sense/common name cannot be derived from the constituents, it is only partially transparent to learners.

Etymology

Uta stansburiana combines the genus name Uta and the species name stansburiana, which may have been given in honor of an explorer called Stansbury. The lizard is commonly called the 'side-blotched lizard' because of a dark patch on its side, so imagining a small lizard with a blotch on its flank helps you link the name to this animal.