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Python molurus

Python molurus

9.0
A very large snake from southern and Southeast Asia that kills animals by squeezing them
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pitón molurus
  • Conservationists are concerned about the declining numbers of Python molurus in certain regions.

Examples

  • The Python molurus can grow up to six meters long.

  • A mature Python molurus is capable of constricting large prey such as deer or wild boar.

  • The Python molurus can reach lengths exceeding six meters in the wild.

  • Have you ever seen a Python molurus in the wild?

  • The Python molurus, commonly known as the Indian python, can weigh over 90 kilograms in adulthood.

  • In the forests of India, the Python molurus is often found basking in the sun.

  • Wildlife researchers are studying the behavior of Python molurus to better understand their habitat needs.

Synonyms

Indian python
vsPython molurus
  • Indian
6.3

A very large snake from South and Southeast Asia that has no venom and can grow very long

is the alternative formal name used for that species in scientific contexts

Surface Forms

Morphology

Python + molurus

This is a Linnaean binomial: 'Python' supplies the clear, English lexical content (a type of snake) while 'molurus' is a Latin specific epithet with no independent English lexical meaning. A B1 learner who knows 'Python' can therefore infer it names a particular kind of python, but the exact species-specific sense is not derivable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Python molurus starts with Python, from an old Greek story about a giant snake, so the name gives the image of a very large serpent. Scientists added molurus as the species name to mark this particular Asian python, so the full name refers to 'a very large nonvenomous python from southern and Southeast Asia'.