Meaning of salipenter | Babel Free

Definitions

A tegu lizard (genus Tupinambis), especially the gold tegu (Tupinambis teguixin).

Guyana

Examples

“A species of the polecat, and another of the fox, are destructive to the Indian's poultry; while the opossum, the guana, and salempenta, afford⟳ him a delicious morsel.”

“The Salempenta or El Mateo, measuring from the tail to the nose three feet, is exceedingly ugly; colour chiefly a brownish green, with yellow spots; and marked in the most extraordinary hieroglyphical manner; [...] The Salempenta has (like⟳ the Chameleon, and several others of the same species) in some measure⟳ the faculty of changing its colour when in any way excited, either through fright or anger; [...]”

“A large land-lizard, called the Salempenta, or Salipanta, is likewise common, and is said to destroy⟳ fowls.”

“Salempenta (Teius Teguexin).—This fine lizard is sometimes called the Safeguard, because it is supposed to give⟳ notice⟳ of the approach⟳ of the alligator, just as the African monitors are believed to warn⟳ travellers against the crocodile. [...] Like⟳ the iguana, the Salempenta affords very delicate food, which is thought to resemble⟳ the flesh of a very delicate young chicken. New comers are at first averse to eating a lizard of any description, but they very soon find⟳ out their mistake⟳, and would even prefer⟳ an iguana or Salempenta cutlet to a chicken.”

“How far foxes, ocelots, hawks, yellow-tail and other snakes, and salempentas, contribute⟳ towards keeping down rats by destroying them for food is not easily determined. That the last⟳ named is an excellent ratter, I know⟳ from actual observation.”

“I know⟳ very little about the details of the regular diet of salempentas, but fowls' and lizards' eggs and chickens are favorites. My nephew wounded a plover and as it was only slightly hurt⟳, he tethered it with a string under the house. In a short time he found a large salempenta on the end⟳ of the string, having swallowed the bird.”

“Lizards usually have⟳ white flesh, tasting more like⟳ fowl than anything else. The Salempenta lizard of Guiana, which is amphibious and unpleasant to behold, is a favourite dish of the Indians.”

“I could sting⟳ you for a bounty of reparations, but keep⟳ your money and let⟳ me talk⟳ like⟳ dis and dat, let⟳ me say⟳ I come⟳ from the tribe of Bongo-Bongo; that I am germane and first-cousin to jungle beasts like⟳ anthropophagi, hermaphrodites, salipenters and all the other creatures dreamt of by your writers or discovered by your travellers.”

“Along its bank a salipenter, the colour of the mud, sped furtively, its eyes on some domestic fowls picking at the verge of the mud hole.”

“Their [iguanas'] eggs and meat are food resources for predators such as salipenter (Tegu lizard), hawks, vultures, and humans.”

“Slowly, he peeped from behind his hiding place⟳ just in time to see⟳ a black-and-white furry object dash behind a salipenter.”

“Fruits and a ‘salipenter (large lizard)’ were what he used to help⟳ with his hunger.”

CEFR level