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Glite Dictionary
family Xantusiidae

family Xantusiidae

9.9
A small group of shy night lizards that live in the Americas
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˌzænˈtuːsiˌiːdeɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia Xantusiidae
  • The family Xantusiidae encompasses several genera of lizards commonly referred to as night lizards.

Examples

  • Researchers studied the habitat preferences of the family Xantusiidae in the deserts of the southwestern United States.

  • Members of the family Xantusiidae are known for their secretive nocturnal behavior and distinctive scale patterns.

  • The family Xantusiidae includes several unique species.

  • Many reptiles belong to the family Xantusiidae.

  • The family Xantusiidae is characterized by small, secretive reptiles that are primarily active at night.

  • Scientists have discovered that the family Xantusiidae prefers rocky habitats in arid regions.

  • Due to their elusive nature, members of the family Xantusiidae are often difficult to spot in the wild.

Synonyms

Xantusiidae
vsfamily Xantusiidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small shy lizards from the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America

covers the same lizards across the entire Americas rather than only that region

Surface Forms

family Xantusiidae singular
families Xantusiidae plural

Morphology

family + Xantusiidae

The phrase simply combines the taxonomic headword 'family' (a scientific grouping) with the proper name 'Xantusiidae' to indicate that specific family of lizards; its meaning is directly compositional if the learner knows both parts. Taxonomic NP patterns are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand it.

Etymology

Family Xantusiidae comes from the explorer John Xantus. His last name was used to label this group of small, secretive 'night lizards', so the name simply means a family of lizards linked to Xantus.