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Glite Dictionary
leaf-nosed snake

leaf-nosed snake

9.1
A pale blotched desert snake with a short blunt nose from southwestern North America that is not dangerous to people
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : serpiente de nariz en forma de hoja
  • Unlike rattlesnakes, the leaf-nosed snake is non-venomous and rarely poses a danger to humans.

Examples

  • The leaf-nosed snake is often spotted beneath rocks in arid regions of Arizona.

  • Look at that leaf-nosed snake!

  • Researchers tracked the diet of the leaf-nosed snake to better understand its role in the desert ecosystem.

  • The leaf-nosed snake is fascinating.

  • The leaf-nosed snake is known for its distinctive flat nose that helps it blend into its desert surroundings.

  • In the dry regions of Arizona, the leaf-nosed snake can often be spotted hiding among rocks and cacti.

  • With its unique appearance, the leaf-nosed snake has evolved to survive in the harsh environments of southwestern North America.

Synonyms

Phyllorhynchus
vsleaf-nosed snake
  • Specialized
9.9

A small snake with a flat leaf-shaped nose that burrows in sandy North American deserts

is a broader group of pale blotched species with blunt snouts in the southwest

Surface Forms

leaf-nosed snake singular
leaf-nosed snakes plural

Morphology

leaf-nosed + snake

The compound is compositionally transparent: 'leaf-nosed' can be parsed as 'having a nose like a leaf' and combined with 'snake' yields 'a snake with a leaf-shaped/flattened nose.' Even if the hyphenated adjective is infrequent or absent from a dictionary, a B1 learner who knows 'leaf', 'nose', and 'snake' can infer the descriptive meaning; this kind of descriptive compound is cross-linguistically common.

Etymology

Leaf-nosed snake gets its name from the wide, flat front of its head that looks like a small leaf on the nose. So the name points to the snake's leaf-like nose and helps you remember this desert kind of snake.