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Glite Dictionary
Lanthanotidae

Lanthanotidae

9.9
A group of thick-bodied lizards that live in holes in Southeast Asia, including the earless monitor lizard
  • noun
  • /ˌlanθəˈnɒtɪdi/
  • Specialized
: Lanthanotidae
  • The rare earless monitor lizard belongs to the family Lanthanotidae.

Examples

  • The Lanthanotidae family includes unique lizards found in Borneo.

  • Scientists have studied Lanthanotidae to better understand the evolution of monitor lizards.

  • Few living reptiles are as unique as those in the Lanthanotidae family.

  • Many scientists study the Lanthanotidae to understand their burrowing behavior.

  • The rare earless monitor lizard belongs to the family Lanthanotidae.

  • Few living reptiles are as unique as those in the Lanthanotidae family.

  • Many scientists study the Lanthanotidae to understand their burrowing behavior.

Surface Forms

Lanthanotidae singular
Lanthanotids plural

Morphology

Lanthanotidae = Lanthanotus (opaque) = Lanthanotus + idae

The suffix '-idae' is a specialized taxonomic marker (family) not productive in general English, so knowing the genus does not let a typical learner infer the family meaning.

Etymology

Lanthanotidae comes from the Greek root lanthan- meaning 'hidden' and the ending -idae which shows it is a family of animals, so the name fits these secretive, burrowing lizards that are hard to find.