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Glite Dictionary
Scaphiopus hammondii

Scaphiopus hammondii

9.9
A California toad that burrows and makes a loud call
  • proper noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Scaphiopus hammondii
  • The Scaphiopus hammondii is often found in sandy soils.

Examples

  • Researchers studied the Scaphiopus hammondii to better understand its unique breeding habits.

  • Have you ever seen a Scaphiopus hammondii in the wild?

  • Local conservation efforts have helped increase the population of Scaphiopus hammondii in recent years.

  • The Scaphiopus hammondii is well adapted to the dry climate of California's Central Valley.

  • Local conservation efforts have helped increase the population of Scaphiopus hammondii in recent years.

  • Researchers studied the Scaphiopus hammondii to better understand its unique breeding habits.

  • The Scaphiopus hammondii is well adapted to the dry climate of California's Central Valley.

Synonyms

western spadefoot
vsScaphiopus hammondii
  • US
8.8

A small toad from California that burrows and has spade-shaped feet

focuses on burrowing behavior and distinctive call rather than foot projections

Surface Forms

Scaphiopus hammondii main

Morphology

Scaphiopus + hammondii

The first element 'Scaphiopus' is transparently a genus of spadefoot toads, so a learner who knows that word can infer this is a toad species; however, 'hammondii' is a Latinized species epithet (not a normal dictionary word) and does not convey descriptive meaning to a B1 learner. Binomial scientific names follow a predictable taxonomic pattern but require domain knowledge to recover specific senses, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Scaphiopus hammondii may come from old words meaning 'spade' and 'foot' because Scaphiopus describes the toad's flat, spade-like back foot used to dig into the ground, and hammondii is the name of the person it was named after. So, the name points to a 'burrowing toad' found in California.