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Glite Dictionary
family Crotalidae

family Crotalidae

1 8.0
A group of venomous snakes that have pits near their eyes that sense heat
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˈkrɒtəlaɪdi/
  • Specialized
: familia Crotalidae
  • The family Crotalidae includes species with heat-sensing pits for hunting prey.

Examples

  • Rattlesnakes and copperheads are both members of the family Crotalidae.

  • Scientists studied several venomous species within the family Crotalidae to understand their evolution.

  • The family Crotalidae includes many species of pit vipers.

  • Did you know that the family Crotalidae is known for its heat-sensing pits?

  • Rattlesnakes and copperheads are both members of the family Crotalidae.

  • Scientists studied several venomous species within the family Crotalidae to understand their evolution.

  • The family Crotalidae includes many species of pit vipers.

Synonyms

Crotalidae
vsfamily Crotalidae
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A family of snakes that have venom, like rattlesnakes and copperheads

is the broader definition without giving example species

Surface Forms

family Crotalidae singular
families Crotalidae plural

Morphology

family + Crotalidae

The phrase is a straightforward compositional taxonomic noun phrase: 'family' (a scientific grouping) combined with the proper name 'Crotalidae' directly signals the biological family of those snakes. This follows standard naming conventions in biology and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a learner who knows both constituents will understand the meaning.

Etymology

The name family Crotalidae comes from an old Greek word meaning 'rattle' because the group includes rattlesnakes that shake a tail 'rattle' to warn others. So the name points to a group of venomous snakes, often called 'pit vipers', that have heat-sensing pits to find warm prey.