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Pythonidae

Pythonidae

9.9
A group of large, not venomous snakes that live in Africa, Asia, and Australia
  • noun
  • /ˌpaɪθəˈnaɪdi/
  • Specialized
: Pythonidae
  • The Pythonidae family includes some of the largest snakes in the world.

Examples

  • Unlike the Boidae, Pythonidae are predominantly found in Africa, Asia, and Australia.

  • Did you know that the Pythonidae are nonvenomous?

  • Members of the Pythonidae family include some of the world's largest snakes.

  • The discovery of a new species within Pythonidae excited herpetologists worldwide.

  • Members of the Pythonidae family include some of the world's largest nonvenomous snakes.

  • The discovery of a new species belonging to the Pythonidae family thrilled scientists around the world.

  • Unlike snakes from the Boidae family, Pythonidae are mostly found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia.

Surface Forms

Pythonidae singular
Pythonidae plural

Morphology

Pythonidae = python (semi-transparent) = python + idae

Formed from 'python' + the specialized taxonomic suffix '-idae'; the connection to a group of pythons is recoverable but the precise meaning 'family' requires domain knowledge.

Etymology

Pythonidae comes from Python, the name of a giant snake in Greek myth, plus the family ending -idae which means a 'group of related animals'. So Pythonidae is the family group of pythons, the nonvenomous snakes we call pythons today.