Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Crotalus atrox

Crotalus atrox

9.9
A large venomous rattlesnake that lives in the southwestern United States and Mexico
  • noun
  • /ˈkroʊtələs əˈtrɒks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Crotalus atrox
  • The venom of the Crotalus atrox can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.

Examples

  • The Crotalus atrox is famous for its warning rattle that sounds when it feels threatened.

  • While hiking in Texas, we saw a Crotalus atrox coiled beneath a rock.

  • Crotalus atrox is often encountered by hikers in its native range.

  • Researchers captured a Crotalus atrox in the Arizona desert for study.

  • The Crotalus atrox is known for its distinctive diamond patterns.

  • Have you ever seen a Crotalus atrox in the wild?

  • A Crotalus atrox can deliver a potent venom that affects its prey quickly.

Synonyms

Western diamondback rattlesnake
vsCrotalus atrox
  • US
8.9

A large snake that has venom, a rattle, and diamond markings that lives in the US Southwest and Mexico

is the formal scientific name for the same species
Western diamondback
vsCrotalus atrox
  • US
7.8

A large venomous rattlesnake with diamond-shaped marks on its back from the United States and Mexico

states greater danger by describing it as highly venomous

Surface Forms

Crotalus atrox singular
Crotalus atroxes plural

Morphology

Crotalus + atrox

The term is a standard biological binomial: 'Crotalus' identifies the rattlesnake genus and the second element marks a specific species, so a learner who knows 'Crotalus' (rattlesnake) can infer this is a particular kind of rattlesnake. Taxonomic naming conventions are cross-linguistically regular, making the overall meaning (a species of rattlesnake) derivable from the constituents rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Crotalus atrox comes from old words: Crotalus comes from a Greek word meaning 'rattle' and atrox is Latin for 'fierce' or 'terrible'. So, the name shows a dangerous rattlesnake that shakes a 'rattle' and can be deadly.