zebra-tailed lizard
- noun
- /ˈziːbrəˌteɪld ˈlɪzərd/
- US
:
lagarto de cola de cebra
- Despite the harsh midday heat, the zebra-tailed lizard was active and quick to evade predators.
Examples
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Zoologists observed a group of zebra-tailed lizards basking on rocky outcrops in the Mojave Desert.
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The zebra-tailed lizard darted across the sand.
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The zebra-tailed lizard darted across the hot desert sand, using its banded tail for balance.
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Have you ever seen a zebra-tailed lizard in the wild?
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While hiking in the desert, we spotted a zebra-tailed lizard darting quickly across the sandy ground.
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The zebra-tailed lizard uses its long legs and speed to escape predators in its arid habitat.
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At sunset, we watched as a zebra-tailed lizard basked on a warm rock, its striking black-banded tail visible.
Synonyms
A fast, long-legged desert lizard with a black-banded tail from the southwest United States and Mexico
A fast desert lizard with a long black-banded tail that lives in the United States and Mexico
A small lizard with black and white tail bands that lives in dry areas of the southwestern US and Mexico
Surface Forms
Morphology
zebra-tailed + lizard
The compound adjective 'zebra-tailed' is transparently built from 'zebra' + 'tailed' (having a tail like a zebra), so combining it with 'lizard' yields the straightforward meaning 'a lizard with a zebra-like/striped tail.' This adjectival‑noun composition follows regular English word-formation patterns and is cross-linguistically accessible, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Zebra-tailed lizard: The name zebra-tailed lizard comes from the animal's long, black-banded tail that looks like a zebra's stripes. So, the name helps you picture a quick desert lizard with a striped tail.
