Anniellidae
|an-ni-el-li-dae|
/ˌæn.iˈɛl.ɪ.deɪ/
family of legless lizards
Etymology
'Anniellidae' originates from New Latin, specifically from the genus name 'Anniella' combined with the standard zoological family suffix '-idae' (from Greek '-idēs'), where the suffix indicates a family group.
'Anniellidae' was formed in modern zoological nomenclature by adding the family-forming suffix '-idae' to the genus name 'Anniella' (coined in the 19th century), producing the modern family name 'Anniellidae'.
Initially it meant 'those related to the genus Anniella', but over time it has come to be used as the formal taxonomic name for the family of legless lizards now called 'Anniellidae'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a family of small, legless lizards in the order Squamata (commonly called American legless lizards), containing the genus Anniella and native to parts of western North America.
Anniellidae are slender, burrowing lizards found in sandy soils of California and Baja California.
Last updated: 2025/09/21 22:01