banded sand snake
- noun
- US
:
serpiente de arena de bandas
- Many people mistake the banded sand snake for the venomous coral snake due to its similar banding.
Examples
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Researchers observed a banded sand snake burrowing beneath the surface of a sandy dune.
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The banded sand snake is known for its ability to move quickly through loose desert soils.
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The banded sand snake is often found in desert habitats.
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Did you see the banded sand snake at the nature reserve?
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Many people mistake the banded sand snake for the venomous coral snake due to its similar banding.
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Researchers observed a banded sand snake burrowing beneath the surface of a sandy dune.
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The banded sand snake is known for its ability to move quickly through loose desert soils.
Synonyms
A small sand snake in the US southwest that swims through loose sand and has bands like a coral snake
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: a 'snake' that is 'banded' and associated with 'sand' (i.e., a snake with banded markings found in sandy habitats). This is a straightforward adjective+noun+noun descriptive pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Banded sand snake is a simple name: banded means it has dark stripes, sand shows it lives and moves in loose sand, and snake tells you the animal. So, the name helps you remember it's a 'small, striped snake' that moves through sand and can be mistaken for a venomous coral snake.
