Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Natrix sipedon

Natrix sipedon

9.9
A water snake that is not poisonous and lives near rivers and lakes in North America
  • noun
  • /ˈneɪtrɪks ˈsɪpɪdɒn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Natrix sipedon
  • Unlike many snakes, the Natrix sipedon spends much of its time in and around water.

Examples

  • Wildlife biologists studied the diet of Natrix sipedon in several lakes and streams.

  • The Natrix sipedon is commonly observed basking on rocks along riverbanks.

  • The Natrix sipedon is commonly found in freshwater habitats.

  • Many people are afraid of the Natrix sipedon due to its appearance.

  • The Natrix sipedon, often mistaken for more dangerous snakes, is actually harmless.

  • You can frequently spot the Natrix sipedon swimming gracefully in the clear waters of the lake.

  • Along the river, the Natrix sipedon is often seen hunting for fish and amphibians.

Synonyms

Nerodia sipedon
vsNatrix sipedon
  • Specialized
9.9

A water snake found near rivers and ponds in North America that is not dangerous to people

has identical meaning but uses an alternative scientific or common name

Surface Forms

Natrix sipedon singular
Natrix sipedons plural

Morphology

Natrix + sipedon

This is a Linnaean binomial (scientific species name) functioning as a conventional label rather than a compositional phrase; its meaning (the northern water snake) is not built from ordinary English lexical parts. Even if a learner recognizes 'Natrix' as a snake genus, 'sipedon' is not a meaningful English word and the species epithet does not transparently signal the common-name concept, so a B1 learner would not be able to derive the meaning from the constituents.

Etymology

Natrix sipedon may come from old Latin and Greek words meaning 'water snake' — the part Natrix was a Latin name for a snake and sipedon comes from a Greek word for a river snake. So the name points to this species' habit of living in and near water.