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Glite Dictionary
family Pelobatidae

family Pelobatidae

9.9
A group of toads that dig in the ground and have spade-like back feet
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli pɛloʊˈbeɪtɪdeɪ/
  • Specialized
: familia Pelobatidae
  • Many members of the family Pelobatidae are known for their distinctive spade-like projections on their hind feet.

Examples

  • The family Pelobatidae includes several species adapted to a burrowing lifestyle.

  • Several European and North American toads belong to the family Pelobatidae.

  • Biologists study the family Pelobatidae to learn more about amphibian evolution.

  • The family Pelobatidae includes various species of spadefoot toads.

  • Many members of the family Pelobatidae are well adapted to arid environments.

  • The family Pelobatidae consists of unique amphibians that thrive in sandy soils.

  • Researchers explore the family Pelobatidae to understand their specialized burrowing behaviors.

Synonyms

Pelobatidae
vsfamily Pelobatidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of burrowing toads with spade-like back feet for digging

is the same meaning but given as descriptive phrase instead of a bare name

Surface Forms

family Pelobatidae singular
families Pelobatidae plural

Morphology

family + Pelobatidae

The phrase 'family Pelobatidae' is directly compositional: 'family' denotes a taxonomic grouping and 'Pelobatidae' is the name of the taxon (spadefoot toads). This naming pattern (family + taxon name) is a standard, cross-linguistic scientific convention, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Family Pelobatidae comes from the Greek name Pelobates, made from parts pelo- meaning 'mud' and -bates meaning 'walker'. These toads have spade-like back feet for digging in mud, so the name points to their burrowing life.